Thorny Tangle
by argentorum
Summary: When a young Ruby ends up all alone on the streets of Vale, she receives help from a very unlikely source. The resulting situation is much to the advantage of those who don't have Vale's best interests at heart. Now Beacon's favorite little Huntress in training is going to show all of Remnant just how special her knees really are. She just has a bit of growing up to do first.
1. From the Briar Patch

A new RWBY story, inspired by Cinder Fall, the Story _Blood Rose, _and a lot of youtube.  
>This was just an idea I had and decided to write up, I'm not really sure if I pulled it off. To me it feels like I didn't capture the tone I was going for, but whatever. I like the idea so I'm posting it.<p>

**From the Briar Patch**

_The City of Vale was calm._

_Dust lamps lit quiet streets, their soft glow pushing back the darkness. In the sky above, the shattered moon stood vigil, glowing with even greater brilliance. Happy and normal people walked the streets in ones and twos, safe in the knowledge that they were protected from the shadows by their ever vigilant guardians._

_In the shadows of an alley way, Yang Xiao Long could only watch that happy world wistfully. From where she stood the comforting warmth of the light seemed so very far away._

_"Yang?" A small voiced asked beside her. She felt a tiny hand come up to grip her sleeve. Glancing down, her violet eyes met a gaze of liquid silver._

_She flinched, there was so much trust in those eyes. Too much trust. "Yang what's wrong?"_

_Yang frowned to herself. And they saw so much besides... Honestly, a seven year old shouldn't be so good at reading people._

_"Ahaha- Nothing's wrong, Sis." Yang said, pulling off her best happy go lucky grin. At her side Ruby frowned lightly to herself but said nothing. "It's just... ah. I heard there's a place where... I can get some food... but I'd have to go alone..."_

_Ruby blinked, and then said exactly what Yang wanted. "Oh, okay! You don't have to worry about me Yang. I'll be fine!"_

_Yang's smile wavered once. "Really Ruby?" She asked "Are you sure you'll be okay w-without me?"_

_"Yeah! I'm a big girl after all." Ruby said with a mock salute._

_"Okay, Ruby. I'm holding you to that." Yang said, fighting to keep that fake smile in place. "I'll be back later..." She started walking down the street but a few steps later she stopped, turning halfway towards her little sister. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone okay?"_

_And then the darkness swallowed her up. She never did come back._

**One Year Later**  
>"Hey! Let go of me! Let <em>go<em> of me!"

Roman Torchwick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Every. Single. Time." He said, glaring at his incompetent hired muscle. "Okay, which one of you let her in here?" Unsurprisingly, none of his men stepped forward to claim responsibility.

Turning back towards the man who caught the nuisance, Torchwick frowned as the little girl with red-black hair and piercing silver eyes continued to struggle impotently.

"Look- just." He sighed. "Get rid of her. I don't have time for this."

"Don't have time for what, Roman?"

Roman sighed. "Perfect." He spun around, pasting a charming smirk on his face. "Nothing that you need to worry about, Ms. Cinder. Just... taking out the trash." He made a shooing motion towards the thug, clearly telling him to remove the brat from the immediate area.

"I said _let go!_" The little girl's shout drew the attention of everyone in the warehouse. With a twist she slipped out of the ratty, oversized, shirt that held her hostage, landing on the ground with a triumphant grin. Roman almost groaned.

"Remind me again why I'm even _paying_ you people." He said. "Well, don't just stand there you incompetent moron." He pointed at the little girl with his cane, "_Get her_!"

A look of sudden realization came to the thug's face. "Uh.. Yeah!" He quickly reached down to grab the child again, only to find that she had disappeared, leaving only rose petals in her wake. "Wha-"

"Ha!" the girl shouted from the top of a nearby shipping crate. "Take that you big meanies!" She brandished a small wallet in her other hand.

"Hey! That's my wallet!"

"Not if it's miiine~!"

The thug growled as he advanced on the shipping crate. "Get down here!" He said, glaring at the little girl.

She giggled. He probably would be more intimidating if she wasn't several feet out of his reach. She promptly plopped down on the crate and began riffling through the contents of his wallet. "Make me mister." She said. "Ooh!" Her grin grew wider as she pulled out a plastic card. She turned to Roman's thug, who by now had made it on top of the crate.

"Hey mister, how much lien is on this one?"

"Wouldn't you like to know you little brat." He reached out to grab her once more, but she rolled out of reach and jumped the small gap to the next crate over.

"Over here you big meanie!"

"Hey! Stop standing there and grab her!"

"Ooops!" With another burst of rose petals the little girl evaded the second thug. She giggled as she held up her next piece of loot. A dust pistol.

From the floor, Roman Torchwick and newly arrived Cinder Fall continued to watch with despair and amusement respectively as a girl who couldn't be older than eight years old avoided several full grown men while _skipping_.

"What a cute kid..." Cider said. She turned to Torchwick, eyebrow raised. "But I hope you didn't call me here to show off the incompetence of your hired footpads."

"Che-" Torchwick only scowled as Cinder Fall chuckled lowly. "Just imagine how much dust I could have stolen if I'd been provided with even mediocre henchmen."

"Indeed."

Torchwick sighed as the little terror nearly perforated a man's skull with her new pistol. "You know, I've had just about _enough_ of this." He said. Swinging up his cane he pointed the polished handle at the girl. "Playtime's over, Silver."

The grappling hook caught the little girl around her waist and yanked her off the crate she was currently standing on. With a flick of his wrist he sent her back up into the air, rolling his eyes as she landed with a soft thud on the wooden table in the center of the warehouse.

"Owie..."

"Yes yes you have a great big _booboo_." Roman said, taking the gun from her limp fingers. "I'm sure the child services would be very put out with me, but for the love of god just be _quiet_ Silver."

Cinder walked over to the table and looked down at the dirty little child.

"Silver?" She asked.

"The color of her eyes." Torchwick said. "They glow almost as brightly as your spotlights do."

Cinder smirked. "Why, Roman, I'm flattered."

"I'm sure you are, _my dear_; however, I would be eternally grateful if we could just move on and forget this whole little... altercation... even happened." Torchwick turned to the nearest henchman and gestured for him to come over. "You, get rid of... _this_."

Cinder caught the man's wrist as he reached for the now restrained girl. "This one's piqued my interest, Roman. It's not every day you see a child who has a semblance already..."

Torchwick sighed and waved his men off. "Fine, just take her." He said, picking up the child's shirt and tossing it at Cinder. "Now not to rain on your parade but we do have actually _important_ matters to discus."

Cinder cast one last glance around the warehouse. "This should be sufficient to begin our next step." She said, gesturing to the crates full of dust and dust crystals.

"And _what_, pray tell, is that next step?"

"Getting better henchmen for a start." She said, Roman scowled. "Lay low for a while, set up a scapegoat for the dust thefts. We're going to need some... time... before we're ready to put these plans into motion on a larger scale."

"Yes, years, you've been over this already." Roman rolled his eyes. "I've stolen your dust. It's long past time for you to start bringing the white fang around."

"Have faith, Roman." Cinder said as she gathered up the tiny child from the table. She stared up at Cinder with wide eyes. "We'll be changing the world before you know it."

As she exited the room, Cinder looked down at the child she was carrying. Her golden eyes flared once as the girl started to shift. "Don't even think about it." The girl froze.

Outside on the street an elegant black car sat with a nondescript older man in attendance. He bowed slightly as he opened the door for Cinder. And though his eyes lingered on the girl in her arms, he made no comment about her. "Was the meeting productive, Ma'am?" He asked as he got into the driver's seat.

Cinder Fall laughed. "More so than usual." She relaxed back into the seat, watching amusedly as the little girl with silver eyes yanked furiously on the opposite door handle. It was child locked, a second rate intimidation tactic and Cinder new it. Still it served the current situation rather well.

As the car pulled out of the industrial district and onto the highways the little girl finally stopped and turned to face Cinder. She sat in a ball in the opposite corner of the car and squinted up at the elegant woman who captured her.

"So what's your name?"

The child looked away. "Why do _you_ care?" Cinder let the silence rest for a moment, just watching how the flashes of light from the dust lamps reflected off her silver eyes. Roman hadn't been lying when he'd said they glowed.

Most would be put off or annoyed by the little girl's reticence, but this wasn't the first time Cinder had dealt with stubborn children.

"My name is Cinder Fall." She said. No response. "...I'll just call you Silver then."

The little girl glared. Cinder smirked. "That's not my name."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"Hmph. Not telling." She stuck her tongue out.

"Then I'll just have to call you Silver." Cinder flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned her attention to the city. To pass the time she pushed her aura into her fingers and snapped, sparking a small flame.

She needed dust to do anything worth mentioning, but a tiny blaze like this she could maintain with just her aura. She heard a soft rustle of fabric and glanced over to see the little girl only a few inches away, looking at the flame with wide eyes.

"Oh? You're interested in this?" Cinder made the flame dance across her fingers. "How about we make a deal, little one. If you tell me your name I'll teach you how to do things just like it."

"Really?" Cinder nodded in reply, and the little girl looked away. "I'm Ruby Rose." She said.

"Rose...? Interesting." She extinguished the flame with a flick of her hand. At Ruby's disappointed sighed she brought it back a moment later. "Tell me Ruby, who taught you to do that trick back in the warehouse?" Ruby looked at her in confusion. "How did you dodge all of the..." Cinder chuckled. "Big meanies?"

"Oh that!" She shrugged and looked back at the flame, one hand reaching out to grab it before pulling back. "I can move really fast!" She said, grinning proudly. Now Cinder could see that cheerful, happy go lucky, attitude that Ruby had shown while running circles around Roman's men.

"No one taught you how to do it though?" Cinder asked again. The flame in her palm trembled slightly.

"Nuh-uh! I did it all by myself!"

"Imagine that..." Cinder felt a smile slowly spread across her lips.

The car pulled to a stop next to an upscale apartments near the inner city a few minutes later. "We're here Ma'am." The driver said over his shoulder as he put the car into park. As Cinder nodded he exited the car and opened the door for her. She gestured for Ruby to follow as she stepped out onto the concrete. "Also, you uncle asked me to inform you that he requests your presence next weekend at the villa."

Cinder rolled her eyes as she pulled Ruby close to her side. "Tell him I highly doubt I'll have time to spare. I've already made plans." She said as she made her way to the door. It slid shut behind her just as Ruby began to squirm. "Stop struggling." Cinder chided as they entered the elevator. "We're just going to your new home."

The child froze, looking up at Cinder with huge eyes. "What?"

Cinder smirked, reaching down she rested a hand on top of Ruby's head. The little girl flinched but didn't pull away. "We're going to the place where you will live from now on." She said. "There will be food and new clothes and a soft bed for you, if you would like that."

Even if Ruby didn't say anything she couldn't hide the way her eyes lit up at Cinder's words, before her common sense caught up with her childish imagination. She glared up at Cinder with all of the ferocity of a kitten. "Why?"

"Poor girl." Cinder said, ruffling Ruby's hair "Someone abandoned you didn't they. Now you're suspicious of everyone."

"Hey, let go!" Ruby said "And I'm not suspi- suspi- suspiclish!". Ruby didn't understand this way happening. She was a nobody that nobody _else_ had time for, _especially_ some one like Cinder. She didn't understand why this woman, who to Ruby, looked like everything Ruby herself was _not_, would care about her at all. This woman was the kind of person to walk past Ruby on a busy street, and not even notice the little girl in dirty clothes who lingered in the background.

"Shhh." Cinder soothed, smiling down as Ruby continued to struggle. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I promise that I will never abandon you, Ruby Rose."

Ruby pulled back slightly, shaking her head back and forth. "Why-?" She said, not willing to meet Cinder's eyes. Why did this tall and beautiful person want anything to do with her? She didn't understand it at all.

Just like she didn't understand why Yang would ever leave her.

Cinder stood and pushed Ruby towards the elevator doors at the far end of the lobby. "Silly girl." She said. "You're special." As the two entered the elevator Cinder smiled down at her newest acquisition. "And someday we'll show whomever abandoned you what a terrible mistake they made."

After a moment Ruby smiled back. "Really?"

The metal doors slid shut with a quiet ping, leaving only the empty foyer behind. The elevator raced up the building, reaching the top floors mere seconds later. Cinder strode down the hallway, her heels sinking into the thick crimson carpet that covered the floor. The hallway stretched the entire length of the building, but there were only two doors on the landing. Cinder could feel the grin growing wider and wider on her face even as she pulled out her scroll and let Ruby into one of the doors.

She watched as the little girl practically skipped into the room, taking in her new surroundings with something akin to awe. A child, practically a toddler, who'd unlocked her semblance on her own. It was nothing short of miraculous, and where did she end up? On the streets?

Cinder almost laughed. It was a such a waste of pure, unadulterated, talent. And fools like Ozpin had the nerve to call _her_ criminal. It was just Cinder's luck that this little girl interrupted Torchwick's meeting. The fool, he would have thrown her away too. Only seeing the nuisance of Ruby's antics, and not the potential that they revealed.

Ruby sprinted around the room, leaving another trail of rose petals in her wake. Cinder wrinkled her nose at the breeze she created. "Ruby, when was the last time you had a bath?"

The little girl froze, looking at Cinder, fear danced in those silver eyes. "Ummmm..."

Well that, Cinder thought, was more than enough of that.

It was shortly after bath, and a surprisingly large dinner, that Cinder showed Ruby her room and left the now exhausted little girl to fall asleep. Returning to the lounge Cinder sank into the plush leather of the couch, drink in hand, and allowed herself a contented sigh.

Ruby Rose was a diamond in the rough. A gem of almost incomparable value, and Cinder could only thank the poor fools that dropped this Ruby in Cinder's lap.

Cinder had just begun sipping her drink when her scroll rang. She sighed, checking the caller I.D. before flicking the picture towards the television screen. It lit up, the image resolving into the face of a man. His visage was lined with age, wrinkles exacerbated by a deep frown, and his close cropped hair was salt and pepper gray.

Cinder set her drink off to the side. "Good evening, Uncle."

"Cinder."

She stretched out on the couch. "Why are you calling me so late, Uncle?"

Instead of responding directly he said "You have refused to answer my summons."

Cinder cocked an eye brow. "So it wasn't just a request?" She asked. "Honestly, Uncle, you didn't care in the slightest when I moved to Vale. I don't see why you should be so interested now."

"I did not care that a little girl chose to move to the city and fritter away a small portion of her parents' finances for her own idle pleasure. When that little girl began accessing more and more accounts for no discernible reason I began to grow concerned."

"And yet despite the meddling of that _little girl_ our 'finances' are still doing better than ever. After all, If they weren't in perfect condition you'd be here in person instead of calling me. So, clearly, there's no reason for you to meddle in my affairs." Cinder held her arm up languidly and began examining her nails.

"There is every reason." The man replied with a deep frown. "Just because you are eighteen years old and have the legal _right_ to use that money-"

"Doesn't mean I have the ability to manage it properly. Yes you've told me that before." Cinder picked up her drink and looked away from the screen. "And yet I seem to be doing just that, don't I?" She smiled at him. "I believe that will be all."

She ended the call and finished her drink. Before she went to bed she had a bit more work to do.

Meanwhile, in her new room, relaxing in her new bed, and wearing her knew sleep clothes, Ruby looked up at the ceiling.

She just... didn't get why all of this was happening to her. Cinder said she was special, and that's why she decided to keep Ruby. But Yang didn't think she was special, or she never would have left Ruby behind. Right? So what if Yang was right and Cinder had made a mistake? When Cinder realized that Ruby was just a normal girl she'd leave her behind just like Yang did wouldn't she?

Well, Ruby thought, to stop that, she'd just have to _be_ special. If she was perfect, then Cinder wouldn't leave her behind. Yeah. That's what she would do. Ruby nodded to herself as she snuggled deeper under the covers. She'd prove the Cinder was right, and that Yang was wrong, and that she Ruby Rose, was special and important after all.

"Ruby... Rose..." Cinder waited for her tablet to bring up information about her young charge, and when she saw the first article she almost started laughing again. "The _missing_ daughter of the late hunters Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose." The news had a brief summary of how she and her older sister, Yang Xiao Long, went missing from the local orphanage they'd been placed in shortly after their parent's death.

Further investigations of that orphanage led to it being shut down due to neglect on the part of the staff, "... but apparently nothing worth pressing charges over..." Cinder murmured. "I wonder what happened to her older sister..."

A look at the police reports revealed that the orphanage hadn't been abusive... but rather the caretakers showed a level of neglect to most of their charges that bordered on criminal. It was the cost of legal fees and the lack of consistent testimony that saved the staff of the orphanage from a lawsuit in the end. There were also mentions of some underworld connections, but nothing that could be traced or even substantiated beyond a few vague words.

And yet despite her tumultuous beginnings, Ruby seemed surprisingly well adjusted, especially for a girl her age on the streets. Cinder wondered if something else lurked behind those innocent eyes.

The two girls had an uncle... who had been on a frontier deployment against the Grimm when Ruby's parents had died. A quick check of the hunter databases showed that he still wasn't back in Vale, but his tour was going to end in the next week and he'd return to the city shortly afterwards.

Cinder just had to handle the legal side of things before he came back and discovered his nieces had gone missing.

Turning the tablet off, she stood up and stretched. She would deal with the rest of those problems later. With that she went to sleep.

The next morning, Ruby slept in. Just a little bit.

Normally she didn't get much sleep, either because of the noise, the sunlight, or her own hunger. But this morning, having eating a large meal last night, and insulated from the noise and light both by the walls of the penthouse, all of Ruby's normal 'alarms' were silent.

Cinder walked into the room shortly after seven and opened the blinds. In the bed Ruby grumbled and rolled over, but sat up a second later regardless. She looked up at Cinder, already dressed with her hair coiffed, for a moment before sliding out of the bed.

"Um... morning?" She said quietly.

"Good morning Ruby."

When she left the room, Ruby found that breakfast had already been prepared, either by Cinder or a now absent housekeeper.

Ruby wanted to ask a million questions, but Cinder was silent that morning, and Ruby followed her lead, eating breakfast quickly and not even asking for seconds even thought it was really good.

"Come."

"Whaa-?" Ruby's head snapped up as Cinder breezed past her to the door. How did she move so fast?

Hopping out of the chair, Ruby scampered after the you woman as she left the penthouse. Their destination was just across the hall. Cinder opened the door with her scroll they both entered.

On the other side was one enormous room with a padded floor. The far wall was made entirely of glass windows overlooking the city and to the right Ruby saw several large, padded, containers. The left wall had been stripped down to the concrete, as had the floor immediately before it. Several dummies and targets, all blackened with scorch marks, were arranged randomly in front of the wall.

Cinder turned around. "Today we're going to being doing a few tests." She said, walking to the containers.

Ruby nodded determinedly to herself. This was her chance to make Cinder want to keep her around. Silently, she resolved to blow the beautiful lady's expectations out of the water.

Cinder pulled a small stop watch out of one of the cases. "Now, when I say 'go', I want to you touch the far wall and get back to where you started as quickly as possible." The room was nearly one hundred feet across. Even using her flames to propel herself it would take Cinder nearly twenty seconds to make it across the room and back.

"Go!"

And in a burst of rose petals Ruby was gone.

She was a tiny black and red blur across the room. Cinder saw as Ruby jumped and landed horizontal against the wall before taking off again. A few seconds later, she brushed past Cinder in a gust of wind, nearly colliding with the wall right behind them.

Ruby grinned up at her. "Was that good?" she asked as she tried to catch her breath.

Cinder looked down at the stopwatch: 14 seconds. For just about 200 feet.

"Oh yes, Ruby. That was very good." Her praise made Ruby grin even wider.

"What next?" She asked "What next?"

"Don't be too eager little girl. We have a long way to go."

* * *

><p>"You're sure you can't find her?"<p>

Ozpin sighed, but he didn't let his despair slow his stride. "Unfortunately no. It took a good deal of effort just to find the first one. The only reason I was looking for her at all is because I thought to check the orphanage that they were both staying at in preparation for your arrival."

"Or rather, the orphanage you _thought_ they were staying at."

Ozpin grimaced. "Yes." He said. "All I can say is that I was in Atlas on a prolonged visa when they both went missing, by the time I returned the entire scandal had already blown over. I hadn't even heard about it until I checked the news sites..." He reached out to open the door in front of them. "I know it's no excuse, especially not for incompetence on this scale. I'll keep looking for her."

"Thank you. Did she say anything about it?"

"Only that they were separated... She's torn up about it, begging to go out again and help search." He shook his head. "After you. I'm sure she could use a familiar face."

Oz opened the door and Qrow walked into the small unadorned room. At the stainless steel table in the center sat a young girl with long blond hair. She was curled up in her chair, head pressed against her knees.

"Yang."

Yang's head snapped up. Her eyes were puffy and the man could still see the tear stains running down her cheeks. "Uncle Qrow..." She said. Her face crinkled again as she began to sob once more. "I-I-I'm so, sorryyyyyyy!" She buried her face once more her shoulders hitching with each sob.

Qrow circled the table and wrapped Yang in a hug. "Shhh. Don't worry, we'll find her. It's not your fault Yang."

Behind them, Ozpin slowly pulled the door shut. He took a deep pull of his coffee as he leaned against the wall, eyes distant.

"After all those two did for this kingdom..." He murmured. "to think that their children would end up in this circumstance." With one last drink, he finished off the rest of his coffee and started walking towards his office.

As the newly appointed headmaster of Beacon academy, he had veritable mountains of paperwork to sort through in preparation for the coming semester.

And he had a little girl to find. Silently he vowed he would not stop until he found Ruby Rose. He could only hope she was still alive and... in good health by the time he got to her.

Over a year out on the streets, on her own... It was commendable that Yang, older by two and a half years, had survived so long, but Ruby?

Ozpin sighed once more. This entire situation was beyond him. "Even brilliant lights cease to burn..."

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Don't forget to leave a review on the way :D


	2. At the Cross Roads

**At the Cross Roads**

*****_Beep Beep Beep Bee-*_

A small hand came down on the blaring alarm clock, cutting short it's terrible rein of noisiness and evil. Ruby glared at it blearily before she moaned and rolled out of the bed, landing on floor with a quiet thump. After another momen she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled over to the bathroom.

Over the past two weeks living with the beautiful woman named Cinder Fall, Ruby had settle into something of a routine. She woke up at seven every morning. Some days she ate breakfast with Cinder, other days Cinder was already gone by the time Ruby's alarm clock dragged her from her slumber. Today was one of the latter, and Ruby sighed to herself as she poured a bowl of cereal.

She'd see Cinder later at least, so she wasn't too depressed, just a little lonely. When they ate breakfast together, Cinder always talked with her, and listened to her ramble about training or about things that she saw on TV or whatever else came to Ruby's head, often laughing quietly at Ruby's antics. She would put aside Ruby's reoccurring fear of abandonment without even trying, leaving her feeling lighter for the whole rest of the day.

Without Cinder, the giant apartment felt so empty for a little girl like Ruby. The training room was better, because she could focus on making herself better, good enough for Cinder to smile at her and say 'good job'. So Ruby spent most of her time there.

The second day of living in the Penthouse, Cinder had returned in the evening with a present for Ruby.

"What's this?" Ruby asked, looking at the small screen in her hands. Even with how small she was, it was tiny enough to hold in one hand.

"That's your scroll." Cinder said. She reached down and turned it on for Ruby. "It serves as a phone and you I.D., with this you can open both the penthouse or the training room at any time, just hold it up to the door. You can also call me with it, I've already put in my contact info."

"Really? That's sooo cool!"

Cinder nodded. "However, I want you to promise me that you won't call me unless it's really important. When I'm in the city I'm usually very busy so I won't be able to talk to you all the time."

"Okay!"

"Thank you Ruby." Cinder smiled. "I knew you would understand. Also, on days I'm not home when you get up, you can look here" she opened a new window, "to see some exercises you could do."

On the page was a short list of physical exercises, suitable for an eight year old, along with some aura exercises and, much to Ruby's dismay, _reading_.

Cinder laughed at the expression on Ruby's face. "I can't have you falling behind in your education Ruby. Just do what you can, and I'll help you out with the rest when I get back."

Ruby's sour mood vanished. She nodded with a bright smile. "Yeah! I'll finish it all."

"I'm sure you will, Ruby."

So she grabbed her scroll and checked for a new text from Cinder. Just like always there was a short list of exercises for her to do, more than the first time, but not by a lot. Cinder was always talking about how she shouldn't strain herself.

_"You'll end up short forever if you're not careful Ruby."_

_"I'll be fine! I drink milk."_

But still Ruby stuck to Cinder's instructions, never doing more, well never doing _much_ more, then she was told. The rest of her boundless enthusiasm was focused into her aura training, and at the end of the day she always ended up doing her homework. Even though she hated it.

School was just so _boring,_ especially because she wasn't even there. It was just watching online teachers talk about boring stuff and she didn't even have any friends to talk with.

So today... she had some exercises, some aura exercises, school work and... Cinder said she was trusting Ruby to practice with Dust on her own for the first time.

Ruby practically squealed with glee as she raced over to the training room, opening the big chest with the dust crystals in it. On the top in a small case were four tiny crystals, each a different color. Forget homework, Ruby thought, today she was doing something fun.

Closing the case and moving to the other side of the room, Ruby set down the small box and opened it up. She looked at the crystals gleefully, but with remarkable restraint for an eight year old.

Slowly she set out all of the crystals on the ground, pulling out the red one last.

Due to Cinder's own affinity for it, Ruby had only ever used red Dust, because Cinder could step in if Ruby lost control of her aura as it interacted with the Dust, which was often.

Still that meant Ruby was most familiar with red than any other color. She put the rest of the crystals away and set the box aside... it wouldn't do to set them all off at once... Not that Ruby had ever done that.

"Okay," She said, gripping the crystal in her hands. "No mistakes this time Ruby!"

First she brought her aura up. Immediately she felt the comforting blanket that wrapped around her and she breathed in the scent of roses. She had a hard time maintaining her aura when she wasn't actually _moving_. Her semblance was speed after all, but with Cinder's help she'd learned to call up her aura for other things.

The red crystal in her hands began to glow, Ruby could feel it heating up, but more than that, she could feel it making her heat up. Her cheeks flushed as she grabbed a hold of that energy with her aura and squeezed her hand shut, powdering a small bit of the crystal.

"Hiya!" Ruby cast her hand out in a sloppy punch, but her poor form was covered by the gout of flame that erupted from her fist.

"Yeah!" Ruby held the glowing red crystal over her head for a moment. But "Ouch, ouch, hothothothot!" It burned her hand when she didn't rein the heat back in, forcing her to drop it on the floor until the glow faded.

"Uwwahhh. Why can't I do that part right?" Ruby said with a groan. Picked the crystal back up she looked towards the nearest target hopefully. But it was still clean, just out of range... and she was standing so close to it too. She looked from her fist to the dust crystal. "I just can't make it go any farther..." She said.

Then Ruby shook her head. "No! I can do it. I know I can!" She stared at the target again. "...I hope I can..."

After a moment she checked her scroll again. Cinder always had helpful advice when it came to dust. A different way of thinking that was really really weird, but made so much sense once Ruby actually thought about it. She still remembered Cinder's first piece of advice.

"Don't be afraid of getting burned. If you fear fire, it will never answer to you."

And right now, between the target and the gem in her hand, Ruby was afraid.

Not of fire, no. She'd long since got over her fear of flame. She didn't think she could fear fire anymore, because Cinder was practically a living breathing inferno.

And Ruby wasn't afraid of Cinder, but... she was very much afraid of disappointing her because she didn't want to be left in the dark again.

Maybe... the fire wouldn't listen to her because she was afraid of failing? Maybe she couldn't do it because she was scared that she wouldn't be able to?

But it was really hard to not be scared.

Ruby held the crystal close to her chest. "Then... I'll just do it until I get it right! I don't have to be scared, because even if I can't do it now, I won't give up until I _can_ do it!" She nodded to herself, determination flashing in her silver eyes.

She focused once more, pulled back her hand, and punched. When the fire cleared the target wasn't marked at all. _I won't stop_. Ruby pulled her hand back and punched again. And again. And again.

Faster and faster, until punching with just one arm felt too slow and awkward. Without dropping the crystal she start alternating, sending off bursts of flame one after another with no reprieve. The Dust crystal in her hand began to grow uncomfortably warm, even to the point where Ruby gasped as she squeezed it tighter and tighter, getting out every last piece of dust.

Still she didn't stop, if anything her arms moved faster as she used the pain to spur her on, rose petals mingling with the firespouts. She huffed, her aura starting to flicker as she ran out of breath. But even as she felt her hand start to blister she didn't stop.

She wasn't afraid of being burned. She wasn't!

"Almost... There!" She pushed both of her arms forward, releasing a massive blast of flame. It surged forward, and as Ruby watched it the fire brushed against the front of her target. The embers looked like petals as they slowly faded away. A single speck of light landed on top of the practice dummies head, before it too was extinquished.

"Ha..hah... I... did it." Ruby sank down to her knees. She grit her teeth as she let go of the Dust crystal. She felt something dry, like toilet paper, slide off her hand with it.

The pain wasn't subsiding. Even though the crystal (much smaller now) was on the ground, where it hissed against the padded floor for a few moments before growing dull, Ruby's hand still burned like she was holding it. Why didn't it stop hurting?

Gritting her teeth as the pain continued to mount, Ruby glanced down at her hand.

What had once been pale white skin was now an angry red, coving in vicious looking blisters. Before Ruby's eyes, a drop of blood oozed out of her palm and landed on the dust crystal. It began to hiss.

"Oh..." Ruby said trying to form a coherent thought through the pain. "Ah- I" She scrunched her eyes shut and hissed. "I got burned."

Between whimpers and giggles and tears, she staggered to her feet. Picking up her scroll, with her _right_ hand, she got over to the door and pulled it open. Back to the apartment. What was it mommy said about burns before?

"Run it under cool water... yeah, that was it." She pushed a stool into the kitchen in order to reach the tap. Her hand still hurt, but after holding it under the water the unbearable stinging feeling went away some, leaving normal pain behind.

Next she needed... bandages.

It took Ruby the better part of fifteen minutes to finish cleaning up her hand. Sitting on the floor in the lounge, she stared at her now cloth wrapped left hand.

Luckily her fingers had been, somehow, spared the worst of the burns. They were still red and sore, but not nearly as bad as her palm. Ruby winced.

Her palm was going to scar... She wasn't sure how she was going to keep her now bandaged hand secret from Cinder.

With a huff Ruby slumped back to the floor. She was exhausted. Using that much aura had robbed her of most of her energy. Even if her limbs didn't feel tired, her entire being was weary, as was her mind.

It took a lot of concentration to keep making fire like that, no breaks. Ruby didn't get how Cinder could make it all seem so easy.

She still had homework do to...

And her normal work out.

She'd been so caught up with the dust that she'd rushed straight to it, ignoring the other things for later. And now she was just _sooo_ tired.

"I'll do it later." She grumbled, rolling over onto her side. For now she'd just... close her eyes for a bit, get her energy back...

...

...

.

"R-by. Ruby. Ruby!"

"Waaagh!" shot up, and Cinder jerked back, narrowly missing a head on collision. "Uuummm. Hi...?"

"Ruby." Cinder said, eyes flashing. "What did you do to your hand."

"Uuu... "

"Let me see it."

Ruby scooted away, waving her hands in front of her. "Nonononono! It's nothing!"

Cinder reached out and snagged Ruby's wrist. Without asking again she began unwinding the hastily done bandages as Ruby winced and looks away. With a slither the bandages fell to the ground revealing her burned palm.

"Ruby."

"..."

Cinder gave Ruby a look. "Are you always this eager?"

"Hehe... kinda?" Ruby said. Cinder sighed. Moving over to the cabinets she took out a small bottle of ointment and rubbed that gently over Ruby's palm, causing the younger girl to wince.

Neither spoke for a bit as Cinder finished applying the ointment and rewrapped Ruby's palm with a clean bandage. Afterwards Ruby sat curled up into a ball, not willing to meet Cinder's eyes as she awaited the woman's verdict. Then Cinder stood and walked to the door. "Well? Aren't you going to show me the fruits of your labor?"

And like the clouds had lifted, Ruby smiled and scampered over to the training room. "See!" She pointed to the dummy, "I hit it! and I was standing... here."

Cinder nodded, she'd projected the flames over a few feet. Very impressive for a girl her age, especially because Ruby didn't seem to have any sort of above average affinity for dust. Cinder supposed she made up with it via her incredible connection with her aura.

"Well done." Cinder said, placing her hand on Ruby's head. The girl smiled at the praising, pressing into Cinder's palm like a kitten. She let that continue for a moment before taking her hand back. "But you didn't do anything else today did you?"

Ruby's silent was answer enough. Cinder crossed her arms and looked at her young charge. "Well?"

"...I'll do it all now..." Ruby said. She trudged back over to the apartment and picked up the tablet Cinder chuckled lightly but turned her attention to her own tasks as Ruby started her lessons.

For all intents and purposes, Ruby was being homeschooled, and she was only a slight bit behind her age group despite her time on the streets, mostly due to Cinder's help. The girl had boundless energy when it came to anything physical, but give her a book and she passed out in a heartbeat.

But at the moment Cinder had more pressing matters to deal with than Ruby's school work.

On her tablet was an article this morning's news paper. It hadn't been on the front page, but it had caught her attention none the less. Qrow was back in Vale, and he was looking for his missing niece. She stared at the picture of the man next to small form of Yang Xiao Long for a moment more and set it to the side.

This was a potential problem, or the final piece she needed to cement Ruby's loyalty to her. She'd waited for a few days after first hearing he Qrow was back, just spending time with Ruby cementing their relationship. Now it was time for the final push.

She watched silently as Ruby blew through her lessons, then she stood. "Come with me Ruby, I want to show you something."

"Huh?" But Cinder was already at the door, tablet in hand, forcing Ruby to scamper after her. She scrolled through several messages as she called the elevator. Ruby stood at her side, looking up at Cinder in confusion.

"It really wasn't fair was it." Cinder said.

"Huh?"

Cinder showed Ruby the picture on her tablet. Ruby's family. Ruby stared in shock.

"It was obvious to anyone who looked that you weren't ready to talk about you past. I'm sorry."

"...for what..." Ruby asked, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Not for prying into you history." Ruby's eyes snapped up, Cinder met her gaze unapologetically. "I'm sorry they all left you behind."

"Mom and Dad didn't leave me behind!"

Cinder folded the tablet back under her arm. "They made a choice, didn't they? They chose their duty over there family."

"N-no! That's not it at all! Mom and Dad were heroes!"

"Yes they were."

"... huh?"

Cinder looked back at Ruby. "There is no doubt that they saved many lives. But that doesn't change what happened to you, does it Ruby. They didn't save you. They left you behind.

"No!"

"They were your heroes, before they were your parents."

The elevator opened, Cinder strode across the empty lobby Ruby dogging at her heels.

"They- they saved people! That was their job!"

Cinder smiled sadly at Ruby. "And for their sacrifice I'm certain there will be statues build of them, and speeches given to honor them, and charities made in their names." She knelt in front of the little girl. "But that doesn't change this does it." She pointed at Ruby's chest. "That doesn't change the emptiness, the knowledge that between faceless bystanders and their own daughter, you were second pick."

Ruby looked away, her shoulders trembling with barely restrained sobs. Cinder gathered her into a hug. "It hurts doesn't it? To be left all alone. It makes you wonder what you did wrong, why they didn't stay, if it was your fault."

Ruby nodded once, "W-was it my fault? W-wasn't I good enough for them?"

"I don't know Ruby." Cinder said, picking the child up.

She clung to Cinder's shoulders crying openly now even as Cinder continued to walk down the streets. "W-will yu-yu-you leave me too...?" She whispered.

Cinder drew to a stop at a corner a few minutes later. She allowed herself a small smile when she saw the man standing farther down the street. Right on time. Instead of answering Ruby, Cinder pointed. "Look." Ruby turned and looked over her shoulder. A short distance down the street, waiting outside a building and only visible due to the streetlight he was next to, stood a very familiar man.

"Uncle Qrow..."

"He's been looking for you, you know."

"What?"

Cinder set Ruby down. "Ever since he came back to Vale he's been searching for you. And if you want, you can go to him right now. You can go back to your old life."

"Cinder...?" Ruby looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Of course." She said. "You aren't the only one he's been looking for."

Ruby's head snapped back around just in time to see the doors of the building Qrow stood in front of open. A young girl with long blond hair and violet eyes walked out slowly.

"Yang..."

Yang and Qrow gravitated together, and Yang wrapped her arms around her uncle's waist for a moment before they began walking down the street, walking away.

Ruby took two steps towards them, a pace away from breaking out into a run, and then she stopped. She looked behind her.

Cinder hadn't moved a step.

"Do you want to go back, Ruby?" She asked. "I can't go with you. If that's what you want, this will be the last time we see each other."

Ruby said nothing.

"I wanted to offer you this choice." Cinder said. "I needed to make sure that _I_ wasn't keeping you against your will. Because if you choose to stay with me..." She shrugged with small smirk. "Well, I promise I'll never leave you."

Ruby looked at the backs of her sister and her uncle. Yang had already left her behind once. Before, Ruby wouldn't have cared, because as long as she could be with her uncle she knew she'd be safe.

But then she remembered how her parents had left her too, even though they had loved her.

And Qrow could do the same at any time.

She wanted to run after them.

She didn't want to leave Cinder.

Ruby watched for a moment more, then she turned away. "No. I don't want... them." She said.

Cinder smiled at her, turning and holding out her hand. "Shall we go then?"

Ruby nodded and slipped her hand into Cinder's. They walked back the way they came, and she didn't look back.

They returned back to the penthouse and slipped back into their normal routine, but something was different. Some distance that had been there before, keeping them apart, was gone. It was like, Ruby thought, she was finally home.

But Ruby still had one question to ask.

"Why me?"

Cinder looked up from where she sat on the couch. "Oh?"

"What makes me so special?" Ruby asked. "I'm just me, I'm not strong her smart or fast- well okay I'm a little fast, but-" Cinder covered her mouth.

"You're Ruby Rose." She said. "And that is more than enough." Ruby smiled. "Now, let's try out the rest of those dust crystals."

Ruby nodded. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Ruby sat with a white dust crystal in her hands, heels kicking the side of the bed. It had been another week since she'd left her past life behind and she was still trying to figure out her relationship with dust. "Why won't you work...?" She asked, holding it up to the light.<p>

Okay, so after testing out all the rest of the crystals, Ruby knew she wasn't going to be a dust specialist.

Fire she could manage, but that's just because Cinder was so good at explaining. The only type she was naturally good with was Yellow dust, which in its raw state spawned lightning. The other two normal colors, as well as all the mixed types, were just beyond her.

Cinder said her aura just 'syn-chro-nized' with yellow dust, whatever that meant. But because of that Ruby was pretty terrible at using any other type of dust.

White was just the absolute worst color as far as Ruby was concerned. Everything about it rubbed her the wrong way.

With a grumble she put the white crystal back in its case and shoved it away. Cinder made it all looks so easy. Ruby knew the red was Cinder's favorite dust type, but Cinder could use all the others as with ease.

On her shelf sat a single, small yellow dust crystal. Cinder told Ruby not to use it without her nearby. Yellow dust was dangerous and difficult to control. Using it in its raw form was like trying to harness a lightning bolt. Lose concentration for an instant and the power it released was just as likely to kill you as your target.

So Ruby was basically stuck. And she was bored.

A moment later she padded off the bed and walked over to the window. It was late afternoon, and the streets of Vale were painted a soft orange with the fading light. Ruby watched as people, normal people, went about their daily lives.

Cinder wasn't in the apartment, and Ruby knew her scroll would get her back to the penthouse, so she decided to go for a walk, and a minute later she was out on the streets of Vale.

She started wandering randomly through the city and with every step she took the boredom just _evaporated_.

The air was just so full of life, she waved to people as she passed and when they waved back she couldn't help but grin. It just, felt so nice to be a part of the crowd, instead of always watching from the periphery. She even bought a small popsicle which she ate as she walked. Life was pretty good.

And then she ran into Yang.

Neither girl noticed at first, they were on opposite ends of the street after all, and there were several people in between them. Both were on their own and they were only ten or so feet away when they saw each other.

For a moment everything froze. Violet eyes met silver and both girls, _sisters_, just stared at each other. That first instant stretched, neither girl daring to move. One second, two, three.

Yang reached out her hand.

"Ru-" She turned and bolted "-by!"

In less than a heartbeat Yang was after her. She was taller than Ruby, and her longer stride slowly let her close the distance between her faster sister. "Ruby! Stop running! Please!"

But Ruby didn't reply, she didn't so much as look back. Gritting her teeth, she turned into an alley, vanishing from Yang's sight for a second.

Yang rounded the corner right after charging into the alley only to stop when she saw the concrete wall blocking the other end. The alley was empty.

There were no trash cans, or bins, and certainly no Ruby Rose. All that remained in the alley way was a scattering of rose petals drifting in the breeze.

Yang sank to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

Qrow found her like that several minutes later. He had a gps installed on her scroll which led him right to the alley way.

"Yang, what happened."

Yang turned and looked up at her uncle. She tried to smile, but it was a futile effort. "Uncle Qrow... I saw Ruby... She... she ran away from me."

Qrow blinked.

"I- I need to tell you something..." Yang said. "Can we go home now? I don't feel like having ice cream anymore."

* * *

><p>It was only when she'd made it a several blocks away the Ruby stopped running.<p>

She'd used her semblance to vault up to the rooftops before shooting across the city like a lightning bolt. She could only count her lucky stars that she'd run into Yang in the commercial district, where most of the buildings were only one story tall.

She plopped down on the roof of a shop, and took a second to catch her breath. She felt like she was gonna puke and pass out all at the same time.

Still Ruby couldn't stay here, Cinder would probably be back at the apartment soon.

Ruby pushed herself up to her feet, staggering drunkenly as she tried to get her balance back. Only after she was reasonably certain she could walk in a straight line without falling over did she make her way to the edge of the roof. She was just over two stories off the ground now. The gradual rise of buildings as she moved away from the docks had caught up to her.

Still there were things to catch onto, and she wasn't totally exhausted yet. So Ruby gathered the last bit of her aura too her and dropped off the side of the building. She caught a window sill, then a ridge, and then she finally made it back to the ground.

"Made it...!" Ruby nodded to herself. "Right, now just gotta..." She looked around. "Get home..."

"Uh oh..."

In her rush to get away from Yang, Ruby had completely lost track of where she was. She looked around for any sort of land mark, but couldn't find anything she recognized.

Short of retracing her steps all the way back to the place where she' ran into Yang, which would take at least an hour now that she was out of aura, Ruby really had no idea how to get back home.

And if Cinder came back before her...

Out of options, Ruby turned around and looked at the store she'd been on top of. She squinted at the big bronze sign above the storefront.

"Tuk-son's... book ... trade..." She read. "Maybe someone in there can help?" Shrugging Ruby pushed open the door and walked inside.

_*Bing*_

Tukson turned around as the door chimed open once more, letting in another potential customer. "Welcome to Tukson's book trade." He said with a congenial smile "Home to every book under the... sun..."

Standing inside his shop was a little girl, probably eight or nine years old at most. She was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a dark red tank top. Tukson watched her, slightly non-pulsed, as she waved back at him.

"Hi!" She said. "I'm Ruby, and uh, sorry to bother you Mr. Tukson, but I'm kinda lost..."

Tukson nodded, "Wandered away from your parents did yah kid?" He asked.

"Nuh uh." Ruby said, shaking her head."I was taking a walk and... I forgot how to get back home."

"Really?" Ruby nodded sheepishly. Tukson laughed and moved over to the counter. "Alright then kid, I'll help you find your way home. Where do you live again?"

"Umm." Tukson watch curiously as the girl pulled out a scroll. A pretty new model if he guessed right, certainly looked better than his beat up old one. "Two twenty six... West Chester Street..." She looked back to him. "Do you know where that is?"

Tukson stroked his chin. "Not off the top of my head... I'll get some directions and grab my keys. Give me a second kid, feel free to look around."

Ruby nodded as Tukson vanished into the back room. With a small huff she started wander around the shop, more taking in the feeling of the place than paying attention to any of the books in particular. As she reached the back of the shop Ruby caught sight of another girl, only a few years older than her, sitting against the wall with a big book in her hands.

Smiling Ruby skipped over, "Hi there. You have really pretty ears."

She was of course, talking about the cute cat ears which poked out of the top of the other girls long black hair. They twitched once as the girl turned to look at Ruby, a surprised look on her face.

"Um... thank you?"

"You're welcome! I'm Ruby by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"Ah. I'm Blake."

"So what are you reading?"

Blake looked down at the book in her hands and then back up to Ruby. "It's... a book about a the... human-faunus war..."

Ruby scrunched her eyes in confusion. "Oh... Isn't that bad?"

Blake sighed. She guessed it was too much to think a child this young would know anything about the war. She only knew about it at all because she was a faunus after all.

"Yeah." She said. "It was pretty bad."

Ruby sighed. "People don't really get along that well do they? ... I don't like it"

"Uh... yeah." Blake was a bit caught off guard by the surprisingly mature statement. "People don't get along." She said, putting the book down. "Especially when one side doesn't even want to admit that the other side is made up of people at all."

"That sounds really bad."

There was a bang from counter. "Hey, kid!" Tukson called. "Where'd you get off to?"

"Oh, I better go." Ruby smiled at Blake as she walked away. "It was nice meeting you Blake!"

"...You too Ruby." The faunus replied. She vanished from sight as Ruby made her way back to the counter.

"Ready to go kid?" Tukson asked.

"Yeah!" Ruby said. "But uh... before that..." She folded her arms behind her back. "Do you have any books on weapons?"

* * *

><p>AN: Trying something new with this story. Updating weekly, hopefully on Mondays, we'll see if I can keep that up once my next semester starts but for now I should be good. So look for updated on Monday (or the day after).

A big thanks to 'CrimsonHeresy' and 'Mistic Shadow' for reviewing, along with all of you who followed and favorited! Hope you enjoyed this next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review!


	3. Against the Crowd

**Against the Crowd**

"Oh! What about this one!"

Blake sighed, doing her best to hide the small smile that was growing ever larger as Ruby chattered on. Still, despite the air of indifference that she was attempting to project, she looked at the picture Ruby had pointed out in her book of weapons.

"I don't think using a weapon twice your height would be very effective." Blake said.

"Well I'd get a smaller one then!" Ruby said with a smile.

"A waste of resources. You'd have to get new ones made as you grew... though that might not be a problem for you..."

"Hey! I'll be tall one day, just you watch!"

"Of course you will..." Blake said, turning back to her own book.

"Hmph." Ruby sat in sullen silence for a few moments before perking up and shoving her small book back towards Blake. "Well which one do you like then?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Why do you care so much about weapons anyway." She groused, but at Ruby's insistence she flipped through the pages illustrating the some of the more memorable weapon types wielded by hunters and huntresses.

"I like this one."

Ruby snatched the book back and looked at Blake's choice. "Ooooo! A ... ka...tana...? Oh It fold too! I didn't know you could make swords go bendy bendy like that..."

"That's surprising, considering that your favorite weapon so far is the collapsible battle ax."

"That's different." Ruby said. "The axes didn't bend, they just snapped back into the handle, like..."

"A sliding door?"

"Yeah! Thanks Blake."

"You're welcome."

With that Ruby turned back to her book. She'd worked through most of the contents already, memorizing the stats of every weapon as she went. In a few days she'd finish the book and be begging Tukson for another one. Not that he minded providing Ruby with questionable litterature for children. Somehow her cuteness factor turned a psychopathic obsession with weapons into an adorable character trait.

That, and Ruby actually payed for books, unlike Blake who just devoured them and put them back on the shelves.

"You two okay back there?" Tukson called from the other side of the shop. Blake's sensitive ears picked out the smooth sound of leather sliding against leather as Tukson shelved some of his older books.

"We're fine!" Ruby called back cheerily.

Blake flipped a page in her book silently and sighed quietly as Ruby began humming tunelessly to herself.

*Ping!*

Both girls glanced in the direction of the door as the bell rang.

"Welcome to Tukson's book trade." Came the man's familiar catch phrase. "Home to every book under the sun."

There was a rustle of cloth as door thunked shut a moment later. "Really? This place?" A low feminine voice replied. Ruby stiffened slightly, eyes growing wide. "Well, it is remarkable cozy, I can see why she likes it here..."

Blake watched as Ruby stood and, tucking her book under one arm, made her way to the front of the store. After a moment, Blake got up and trailed behind her.

Standing in the front of the store was a young woman in a flowing crimson dress. She glanced around lazily, taking in the dusty shelves and mountains of books without really paying them any attention at all. Ruby came to a stop in front of her.

"... Hi Cinder..." She said sheepishly. Blake could picture the small, winsome smile she would wear as she looked up at the woman.

"So this is where you've been going Ruby?" Cinder asked.

"Yeah..."

"Hmm." Cinder ruffled Ruby's hair absentmindedly. "I trust she hasn't been giving you any trouble?" The woman asked Tukson.

"Ah- No ma'am. She just stops by to take a look at some of my books."

Cinder looked over to were Blake stood, half hidden behind a shelf. She smirked. "And to play with her new friend I assume."

Ruby nodded. "I... um..."

"Shhh." Cinder cut Ruby off. "No need to apologize or make excuses. I'm glad to see you've been keeping yourself well occupied." She looked back over at Blake. "And before you ask, yes your new friend can come visit on your birthday. That's what you were planning on asking me yes?"

"wuh?" Cinder just gave the girl a look. "Ah Thank you Cinder!" Ruby jumped up and hugged the woman "Thank you, thank you."

With a much put upon sigh, Cinder extracted herself from the hug and set Ruby back on the floor. "Calm down Ruby." She said, before turning back to Tukson. "She's payed for all of those books that have been appearing in her room?"

"Of course." He replied, a small grin on his face. "Though, when I opened my shop I never though one of my best customers would be a little girl."

Cinder smiled mysteriously. "She defies expectations." She said, holding out her hand to Ruby. The little girl took it with a big smile. "Shall we go then? You still have tasks to complete."

"Yeah!" Ruby waved over her shoulder as they left the shop. "See you later Blake!"

Blake waved once. "Bye Ruby." When the door thunked shut she and Tukson shared a glance.

Then next day Ruby showed up at the shop later than usual with a tired smile on her face. "I... just had to do some stuff before... Cinder let me come." She murmured to Blake before plopping down in her favorite corner and leaning into the older girl.

"Um... Ruby, what are you doing?"

"I'm sleepy." She said, grabbing Blake's arm and snuggling even closer. "Mmmm."

Blake sighed. "... Yesterday, you said something about a birthday party?"

"Oh! right..." Ruby sat up, before a massive yawn overtook her. She blinked the tears from her eyes as she rested her head on Blake's shoulder again. "Can you... come over on... the day after tomorrow?"

"I should be able to."

"Great... good night Blake."

"It's two in the afternoon Ruby."

"Yeah... the middle of the night."

Blake sighed again before grabbing her book. If she knew Ruby at all, she'd be back up on her feet and bouncing off the walls in twenty minutes or less. Until then Blake was content to read her book and let Ruby use her as an impromptu pillow.

It was getting colder as autumn approached, and the little red head was pleasantly warm.

Ruby still hadn't woke up when Tukson came back to check on them. After taking in the scene he just handed Blake another book so she wouldn't have to move after finishing her first one. "Are you planning to go the rally today?" He asked quietly.

Blake glanced away. "Yeah... I was thinking about inviting Ruby along..."

Tukson frowned. "Sure about that Blake?" He said. "I know she's your friend. But she's still human."

"I know... and that's why I want to bring her." Blake said. "We're supposed to work together with humans right? So what better way to show that unity than having a human with us at the march."

"It's a good idea in concept Blake." Tukson said. "It's just that in real life things rarely work out that neatly." Blake didn't say anything. "It's your choice if you want to ask her along, but just remember that her being there could cause a lot of problems."

"I know that!"

Tukson shrugged again and moved around the shelf, leaving the two girls behind.

Blake huffed quietly as she returned to reading, but the book couldn't distract her from her thoughts.

Tukson was right, bringing Ruby along to the rally would open the door to all sorts of problems. The other faunus might attack her, or the police might notice her and use Ruby's presence as a reason to attack, or Cinder might show up and do god knows what. Even off the top of her head it was easy for Blake to see how all of these things might happen.

But she still wanted to bring her new friend along. Blake wanted to prove that humans and faunus could get along, despite how many people said it was impossible. Ruby was a good person, and Blake knew she didn't care if someone was a human or a faunus. In a sense, she almost wanted to show Ruby off to the rest of the world. It would be like saying "This little girl can get along with us! Why can't the rest of you?"

Ruby shifted at Blake's side "You're thinking really hard Blake." She said. "What's up?"

"Huh?" Blake glanced over to the younger girl. "Oh, you're awake now?"

"Yep!" Ruby smiled, "You make a great pillow!"

Blake rolled her eyes. "That's heart warming."

"Yeah." Ruby said. "So why were you thinking so hard Blake? Your ears are red."

"Wha-?" Blake's hands snapped up to touch her ears. Well, they were a little warm but-

Ruby giggled. "Made you look!"

Blake blinked once. "That... was surprisingly cunning."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Blake closed the book and set it to the side. "Ruby, I... do you have to be home soon?"

"Huh?" Ruby blinked once. "No, Cinder said I don't have to be home until dinner since I got all my other stuff done already." She looked a bit put out at that though. "It's cause she's busy, so she won't be there either..."

"I see." Blake said. "Um, Ruby. Tukson and I have somewhere to go soon."

"Really? Where?"

"To... a faunus rights rally. And I was wondering if you, maybe, wanted to come with us."

"Oh, okay... " Ruby nodded once. "What's a rally?"

Blake sighed. By the looks of it she had a lot of explaining to do.

"You know that faunus... that we, aren't really treated well by most people right?"

Ruby nodded, frowning sadly in a way that made her eyes shimmer dully.

"A rally is what we do to protest- to disagree -with the people who treat us poorly. We all meet up in one place, and we march around the city letting everyone know that we don't appreciate being treated like animals." Blake glared off into the distance, her hand clenching into a fist.

"I'll definitely go then!" Ruby said.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You're my friend. I don't like people being mean to you!"

Blake smiled at that. "Thanks Ruby." She said. "Just remember to stay close to Tukson and me the whole time okay? There won't be many humans there."

Ruby nodded. "Okay. When do we leave?"

"Right now actually." Tukson's voice called as he rounded the shelves. "It's almost three, so if we want to be there on time we should go." He gave Ruby a brief glance. "I'm still not sold on the idea of bringing you along... But you're a good kid, just stay with Blake and keep your nose clean."

Ruby tilted her head sideways. "But... why would I need to wash my face?"

Tukson chuckled. "It means stay out of trouble, kid. Now let's go, you can leave your books and heavier things here. We'll be walking for a while so you probably won't want to carry them."

"Okie dokie!" Tukson put all of their stuff in a small safe behind the counter and locked the door to the shop behind them.

The three walked down quiet streets. Usually, in a situation like this Ruby would chatter and scamper around: looking at street signs, talking to strangers, that sort of thing. But the solemn air around Tukson and Blake served to mute her enthusiasm. She could tell that this 'rally' thing was going to be very serious, and that she maybe shouldn't even be there. So she wouldn't give the other faunus a reason to tell her to leave by acting childish.

The sun still high when they made it to the meeting place, a small square off one of Vale's larger plaza's. There were humans in the shops around the edges and just passing through, but they were offset by the truly massive numbers of faunus that filled the square.

Until then, Ruby had never realized how few faunus she'd seen in her life, despite Vale having one of the larger percentage population of them. Occationally she would catch a glimpse of one or two walking down the street, or in a restaurant, but there were always far more humans around. Now, the situation was inverted.

She watched in awe as people, with so many different animal characteristics, mingled in the square. She watched a man wolf ears playfully put one with tusks into a head lock. A woman with scales along her neck was talking with two others with furry ears or feathers.

But what drew Ruby's attention even more was the way they moved.

Now, having spent so much time around Cinder, Ruby knew what unconscious grace looked like. The beautiful woman seemed more to dance through life, rather than walk and move like a normal person. Blake was sort of like that as well, though her movements were filled with all the awkwardness of youth.

Tukson always had a sort of power to his actions, but the rest of these faunus...

Snake faunus looked like they were sliding through the air effortlessly. Wolf and deer faunus didn't jog, they loped with an economy of motion that humans lacked. Bird faunus damn near seemed to fly with each step they took.

It was beautiful.

"Hey Ruby."

"Huh?" Ruby looked back at Tukson. He seemed... different now, indomitable in every action, like a glacier.

Like the weight of pretending to be human had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Don't get separated from us okay?"

"Oh, yeah." She picked up her stride as Tukson and Blake moved deeper into the crowd. Still she couldn't keep her eyes to herself as she passed them.

Really, apart from the obvious animal characteristics, faunus didn't look that different from humans, but how they moved was just a world apart. Subconsciously, Ruby started trying to mimic them: smooth out a stride here, eliminate a needless motion there. She was concentrating so hard she almost bumped into Tukson's leg when he drew to a stop.

"What's a human doing here?" The man, a rabbit faunus, in front of Tukson asked. All of a sudden all of the nearby people were looking at her. She could feel their eyes sweep across her. The looks were curious, and some were cold, but at least none were outright hostile.

"She's with us." Tukson said. "A friend of Blake's here. Wanted to come and show her support."

At this Ruby nodded vigorously.

"Che." The man shrugged. "No harm in that I guess, just make sure she stays out of trouble."

"We will."

And like she had passed some kind of test, everyone went back to ignoring Ruby. She didn't really mind, it meant she could watch them without it being weird or anything. She made sure to stay next to Blake and Tukson as more and more faunus gathered in the square.

About five minutes after that several faunus went around distributing banners and signs. Blake had her down, a small piece of colored paper on a meter stick that she'd brought with her when they'd left the book store. A snake faunus handed Ruby an equally small sign, which she excepted with a big bow and grateful smile.

Over towards the edge of the crowd Ruby saw a group of older looking faunus talking with a young, silver haired man. The rest of the faunus seemed to regard him with a sort of grudging respect. And he seemed to treat them with equal, if not greater, consideration.

"That's Ozpin." Tukson murmured, at her side. "He's been Vale's unofficial link between the White Fang and the government for a few years now. Been trying to push our case inside the government and he's always been on our side when it came down to it. Heard he just got made headmaster of Beacon Academy, where they train hunters."

"Really?" Ruby asked. That must be why he looked so distinguished and graceful, just like the faunus she realized.

"Yeah." Tukson said. Then another group of faunus moved over to where Ozpin stood, blocking the man from their sight. "He usually doesn't come to the rallys though, he might be asking us to postpone it..."

"But I thought you said he was on your side. Why would he ask you to stop then?"

"From what I've heard from my friends, he's one who always looks at the bigger picture. Maybe he thinks protesting today will hurt us."

"But sometimes you just can't wait anymore." Blake interjected. "Sometimes, playing the long game just doesn't pay off when you need it to. And that's why we're protesting today, no matter what."

Ruby looked back and forth between the two of them. "Did... something happen?"

Tukson sighed. "Shnee dust company opened up a new factory recently. They hire a lot of faunus and usually treat them poorly. That's what we're marching for today."

"Oh..." This was all more than a bit confusing for Ruby, but she was doing her best to stay focused. In any case, she could tell this was really important to her friends, so she would act the part even if she didn't get everything that was happening.

The quiet conversations continued for a few more minutes before an middle aged lion faunus climbed up on a statue in the middle of the square, waving his arms once to gather everyone's attention.

"Looks like we're starting." Tukson murmured.

"Friends!" The lion shouted. His voice was deep, resonant, carrying through the air like the beating of a drum. He began giving a speech, reminding all of them why they were there. To oppose the injustices of society, to show the rest of Vale that they had a voice, and they would be heard.

The Faunus around Ruby nodded and cheered in time with his words, she saw smiles when he talked about a better future, even though she caught a glimpse of Ozpin, off to the side of the plaza with a small frown on his face.

And then they marched.

There had to have been over a thousand of them. Ruby couldn't even see the edges of the crowd after they started walking, with more and more faunus joining in with each moment.

Cheers and chants sprang up at random through the crowd, but in the middle of the press of bodies she could barely make out one voice from the next.

By her side Blake raised up her sign proudly, waving it with determination as she joined in with all of the chants. She probably knew all the words by heart, and as time went on Ruby began to pick up on the words as well, cheering and smiling as the march continued.

The air sparked with energy, Ruby could feel it, the aura in the air, the power. So many people, all united in a common cause.

Though Ruby didn't know it, by the time the Rally reached the factory there were over five thousand faunus marching. So many that they filled entire streets, stopping traffic and drawing countless eyes.

They reached the factory, intent on walking right up to the factory itself, so everyone would know exactly what the White Fang was about.

They were stopped at the gates.

Ruby, now sitting atop Tukson's shoulders and waving her banner with all the energy in her eight year old body, saw a military barricade set up at the entrance to the grounds. Men in silver and blue armor, at least fifty of them, stood in a phalanx, riot shields out, dust rifles at the ready.

She watched as one held up a megaphone and shouted something at the crowd. Boos and jeers were the only response. The mass of faunus pressed forward, just a few scant feet away from the barricade. The soldiers tensed, but neither side was making the first move.

The faunus quieted slightly, sliding from chants to murmurs as they eyed the soldiers warily.

"Tukson..." Ruby asked nervously, "What's going on...?" She didn't like this new feeling in the air.

"Damn Shnee company hired mercs from Atlas." He growled out. "They're trying to get us to leave, but the hell that's gonna happen!"

The murmuring of the crowd grew larger, rippling throughout the mass of men and women. Ruby shivered with anticipation.

"Yeah!" She pointed her sign at the barricade like a lance, "Out of the way!" She shouted at them "For justice!"

Her battle cry was taken up by those around her. "Jus-tice! Jus-tice! Jus-tice!" It spread through the rally, like a blaze. One of the soldiers seemed to notice Ruby, he gestured to the man with the megaphone, pointing out the sole human amid the mass of faunus.

Even as the chanting of the rally grew louder, the commander started speaking frantically into his scroll. After a moment of listening, he nodded once, turning his attention back to the almost mob in front of him.

They were nearly at the breaking point, Ruby's chant was like a small bit of snow, breaking free at the very top of a mountain. It gained momentum with each passing moment, and, if they waited, the guards would be facing an avalanche.

The commander tossed the microphone aside and cupped is lips. Even though she couldn't hear him in the slightest, Ruby could read the terrifying word as it tore from his lips.

"FIRE!"

She screamed as the dust guns roared. Tear gas grenades broke over the crowd, causing nearly every faunus to stagger, but they rallyed in a heartbeat. They charged the barricade.

The rifles couldn't be using live dust rounds, they couldn't! Ruby was forced to watch, swept up in the tide as the mob crashed into the barricade, was forced back by fire and sword, only to surge forward again.

There was screaming and shouting and tearing and turning and pushing and pulling.

Blake was out of sight, it was only Tukson's tight grip that kept Ruby safe from being trampled.

"You have to get out of here!" Tukson shouted at her. His height gave him an advantage, he spotted a clear ally off to the side. "I'm going to throw you over there!" He pointed. "Can you make it?"

Ruby stopped her trembling long enough nod. She could do that distance by herself. Tensing, she gathered her aura. "Now!" He shouted, and she flew.

The shouting and screaming only grew louder as Ruby passed overhead, the sound of gunfire long since drowned out by the mob. She tucked and rolled, coming to a stop with nary a hair out of place, but back in the street things were only growing even worse.

The faunus had nearly broken through the barricade, she made out the glint of steel armor on the ground and winced as stomping feet and battered bodies obscured it. But there were more guards now, coming in from the behind and attacking the mob from both sides.

For a moment it looked like it could go either way. The mercenaries had tactics and equipment on their side, but the mob had pure numbers. Even against a few hundred soldiers, the might of five thousand faunus was no laughing matter.

Then the bullheads broke the skyline. Ruby watched in horror as two jets flew over the crowd, dropping tear gas and suppressing fire before circling back. The mob rippled beneath the onslaught, like a pond in the rain.

Caught between a hammer and an anvil, the faunus did the only thing they could, they broke.

The faunus scattered into the alleys, and Ruby was swept up with the tide. She was forced to use her semblance almost constantly just to keep from getting trampled. But before she could disappear, the group she was fleeing with ran into another platoon of mercenaries.

In the clash that followed, Ruby slid through the cracks, tears streaming down her face as she looked back, and saw the woman who had handed her the banner drop to the ground, clutching at her chest as her pristine white sweater slowly darkened. In her other hand she held something wet and red, the large gaping wound at a fallen guards throat revealed just what.

Ruby ran.

She ran through twisting ally ways and darkening streets. She ran past startled passerby and angry cops besides. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was the nightmare behind her. And so she ran, without time or direction. She ran till her aura was almost completely spent.

In a distant alley, she collapsed against the cool metal of a dumpster and tried vainly to stop her tears.

She only had a few moments of stillness before the sound of footsteps caught up to her.

"Let go!" A young voice called. Blake! There was a harsh crack, then a man spoke.

"Shut it, kitty." He said. "God damnit, we better be payed overtime for this, hunting fucking strays."

"Just lay off." Another voice said. "We'll just sweep this ally and then get this one back to base." The other grunted in acknowledgement.

By now Ruby could see them. Two mercenaries, one of them dragging a barely conscious Blake by her wrist as they walked down the ally. For now the shadows protected her, but there was nowhere for her to hide. They'd notice her in just a few more steps.

And they were going to kidnap Blake too. Ruby couldn't run away.

With a quick jerk of her wrist, she tore off the small necklace she was wearing. On the end of the chain was a small yellow dust crystal, a gift from Cinder. She grasped it tightly in between her hands. "Please work..."

"Hey, what-"

Ruby squeezed her hands together and pushed. Lighting erupted from her fists, arcing into the nearest guard and sending him flying backwards.

Even as the second one turned in surprise Ruby was moving, she passed him, snatching the dust rifle from his loose grip. She almost crashed into the wall herself instead of jumping off of it. But she managed, landing on top of the dumpster and aiming the gun shakily at both mercenaries.

"Holy shit!" The first merc was still down and the second was looking around frantically, trying to figure out where the lighting had come from, and why a little girl dressed in red was holding his gun.

"Please leave..." Ruby said softly as the first merc pushed himself to his feet. Thankfully the second dust rifle was out of reach.

"What the hell?"

"Hey, little girl, you better put that down before you hurt yourself." With a casual toss the man sent Blake tumbling across the alleyway. Ruby began to tremble.

"Leave. Now." She said again.

"Where's the other one?"

"It's just this stupid kid. Who's going to give me back my gun, or else I'm going to rip it out of her twitching fingers."

"I said leave!"

"Shut up you fucking brat!" The merc charged fist up, the second moved to pick up his gun.

"Go away!" Ruby pulled the trigger. She held it down, spraying the entire alleyway, eyes scrunched shut until the clip finally clicked empty. Only then did she dare open her eyes.

Both mercenaries were laid out against the far wall of the alley, blown backwards by the concussive force of the dust rounds, she didn't spare them a second glance before running over to Blake's side.

She almost collapsed on the way there from aura depletion, but she made it to her friend's side. "Blake!" Ruby grabbed Blake's shoulders, shaking weakly. "Blake! Are you okay?"

"... Ruby...?" the Faunus muttered, her eyes blinking in and out of focus. "What...?"

"Blake!" Ruby tried to pull her friend into a hug.

"Over here!" Something collided with Ruby's side, sending her sprawling across the hard pavement. She cried out as she rolled to a slow stop. Several dark figures poured into the alley. One was looking at Blake, another was checking the Mercenaries.

"Thank god. She's fine, just got knocked around a bit."

"Looks like someone did us a favor." Someone spat on the mercenaries.

"There's another one."

"She's a human."

Suddenly Ruby wasn't on the ground anymore. Some one had picked her up by the throat, and pinned her against a wall. She could see nothing but red hair, red like blood, and very angry eyes.

"She was probably working with them. There's no way Blake would get caught otherwise."

The others looked uncomfortable, but no one made a move to stop him. "She's just a child."

The man's grip tightened, "So is Blake."

Ruby struggled weakly, legs kicking out into empty air, hands clutching desperately at the fingers slowly constricting around her throat. "Please..." She whispered. "Please..."

The man said nothing. Black spots slowly began to obscure Ruby's vision, and she could feel herself slowly slipping away. Her struggles grew weaker and weaker until...

She couldn't... even move... anymore. Silver eyes tracked her own hands as they fell down to her sides.

Yang... was right then... Ruby really was worthless...

"Adam stop...!"

Blake... what?

The grip loosened, but barely, only enough for her to draw a tiny sliver of air.

"She's my friend, Adam! She saved me from them!"

"What?"

Silence for a few seconds. Ruby was held in limbo, on the border of consciousness. Then: "You heard her Adam. Let the girl go."

The hand vanished, and Ruby fell to the pavement, collapsing. Heavy coughs wracked her frame as her body reacquainted itself with the concept of breathing. She was shivering violently.

Around her, voices continued talking, though she didn't have the energy to listen.

"We have to keep moving, more will be here soon."

"What about those two."

A snort. "No need to worry about them anymore, bastards."

"Let's go then, back to base. Arthur should have already made it."

"Wait."

"Adam we don't have time damnit!"

Someone grabbed Ruby by the back of her shirt, hoisting her up. "We're taking her with us. She can tell her story to Arthur and we'll see if he buys it."

"Whatever, just go!"

Ruby hung, limp in the man's grasp, as the pavement rushed by beneath her. She felt more than saw her captors taking sharp turns and narrow roads. She didn't have the strength to move anymore, even when they came to a stop and entered a small building. Her captor bumped Ruby's shoulder on the door frame as the entered.

The room was warm, and in the moment of stillness, Ruby's eyes slowly drifted closed.

...

"- Blake is vouching for her Adam. What more evidence do you need?"

Ruby awoke to the sound of voices.

"I still don't like it. She's a human."

"She's a child!"

"Well that hasn't stopped them now has it!?"

Slowly, Ruby opened her eyes. She was sitting in a wooden chair. In front of her, the red headed man, Adam?, was arguing with the lion faunus from the rally.

"That doesn't matter." The lion said. "We have to be better than them. We have to prove that we aren't animals."

It sounded like a worn out argument. Almost as worn out as the faunus looked when he gave it.

"And that's been helping us so much, hasn't it old man?" There were others in the room as well. They were keeping silent but even Ruby could tell that they were on Adam's side. "Well I'm fucking done with it. If they're expecting animals, I say we give them the savage beasts that they're so fucking afraid of."

"That won't help anything Adam."

"If they'll never respect us, then at least they will fear us."

The lion faunus just looked so tired, he glanced over at Ruby and sighed. "Perhaps..." He said. "But first I would like to hear what you have to say, child."

Ruby shrank back into her chair. "Me?"

The man nodded. "We know that you saved Blake, and for that you have my deepest thanks. I won't question if you managed to defeat two fully grown men on your own or if you had some help-" Adam started to say something, but he was silenced with a sharp glare. "-but, I would like to know why you did it."

Ruby blinked, frowning in confusion. "Why... I saved Blake?"

"Yes."

"She's my friend..."

The men and women around the room shared glances, but the lion faunus pushed onward.

"That is all? You protected her just because she was your friend?"

"Well... yeah." Ruby said. "I couldn't just leave her." To her it was just the simplest thing in the world. Why were they asking her to explain it?

The man smiled. It was a small thing, but it looks so very bright.

"Thank you child."

Ruby nodded. He was about to turn when she shook her head once "I- I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Oh?"

She clenched her fists at sides. "I'm sorry that we're so evil..." She scrunched her eyes shut, trying to prevent tears from running down her cheeks. The massacre flashed across her eyes. So much red. "I'm sorry that we all deserve to burn."

"There there, child." The man whispered. He placed a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You saved someone's life tonight. Let that be enough for now." No one else moved as Ruby slowly spent her tears. Last vestiges of energy gone, she drifted off to sleep in the chair once more.

With a sigh Arthur turned back to the rest of the room. There was new determination in his eyes, new life. "This is why we cannot just be savage beasts." He said, gesturing at the little girl. "These innocents, who have pure hearts and strong convictions. They will be our allies, but only if we prove that we are worthy of them."

Not even Adam dared to speak.

"This child defeated two fully grown men to save one of our own. We would not be animals if we repayed that kindness with senseless bloodshed, we would be monsters." He sighed, place both hands on the wooden table in the middle of the room. "But all the same," He said. "Adam is right when he says we cannot allow things to continue as they are."

"If nothing else, there must be justice."

* * *

><p><em>"There are several reported deaths among the mercenaries who headed off the faunus riot at the Schnee Dust Factory. Due to police efforts however, there were no civilian casualties and the rioters were quickly dispersed."<em>

_"According to the head of the Vale P.D., the faunus have already begun to retaliate. The bodies of two Atlas mercenaries were discovered in an alley more than a dozen blocks from the riots shortly after the event. Preliminary reports suggest that they were caught off guard while completing their patrol and brutally murdered..."_

* * *

><p>AN: And that's the chapter. Due to some computer problems, I typed up this chapter in word pad, which lacks a spell check. I know I'm a pretty terrible speller on my own, and I did my best to edit my mistakes, but I apologize for any mistakes that may have slipped through. Fanfiction has it's own spell check of course, but... well we'll see how it goes. Once again a big thanks to CrimsonHeresy, rwbybomb21, Mystic Shadow, patrick the almighty observer, jduncan1, P.T. Piranha, Blighted114, NyrocX, we love us, and my one guest for leaving reviews, along with everyone who followed and favorited. This chapter... was a bit painful to get out, so know that all of you inspired me to keep going and get it finished on time.

Now for some general notes. For those who want more clarification of some of the specifics of this chapter. Arthur, the Lion Faunus, is the current leader of the White Fang. Adam is just respected due to his strength, he's not in a position of leadership. Arthur was the original leader, and he has yet to step down. In my mind, it was an event like this that drove him to resign and let more militant faunus take control of the White Fang. Whether or not that will happen in the future still remains to be seen.

As for the riot itself. The mercenaries were hired by Schnee dust company to protect the factory on the day it opened. At the start they used the dust equivalent of rubber bullets and tear gas like I said, but as the faunus started retaliating they were given the go ahead to use lethal force. Several faunus did die, the news report just illustrates the current bias of Vale.

Some of you mentioned in reviews that you're having trouble pinning what Cinder's goals and motives are. So am I actually.  
>In the actual series she plays her hand close to her chest. We can see what some of her plans are, but not what her end goal is, or even why she's pursuing that goal. I'm doing my best to capture that.<p>

There is no doubt that she has some attachment to Ruby, just like she had some sore of attachment to Emerald and Mercury, but even I don't really know if that connection is motherly or purely analytical. Cinder is one of those characters that writes themselves.

For those of you who are angry at Yang. Don't worry, Ruby will have her moment, but not for a while yet.

I should be able to finish one more chapter on schedule before college starts again. After that, it all depends on how much free time I have. I'll do my best to keep the updates coming.

Thank you for reading, don't forget to leave a review!


	4. A Single Step

**A Single Step**

After the rally, Tukson ended up finding Ruby and bringing her home. Ruby only remembered brief bits. Cinder being furious with both Schnee Dust Company and the White Fang, for one. Her protectiveness made Ruby warm inside. The next days were spent recovering from her various wounds, until her birthday finally rolled around.

Tukson and Blake showed up at the penthouse a little after nine.

"I'm surprised you made it, actually." Cinder said as Tukson helped Blake take a seat on the couch.

Tukson shrugged "I felt they both could use a friend right now." He said.

"Indeed." Cinder said. She'd noticed Ruby's unusual lack of energy in the last two days. The girl was still peppy, but just more... muted recently. "I'll bring her back to the book store when they're done."

"Thanks."

After the man left, Cinder turned her full attention to the two little girls sitting on the couch. The cat faunus... Blake, kept glancing at Cinder warily. She could see how the girl had placed herself so that she could keep an eye on Cinder no matter where she was in the room.

Cinder found it far more telling that, by doing so, Blake had left Ruby in a blind spot.

Still, it wouldn't do to stifle the two of them right now. She had her own business to attend to in the wake of the massacre.

"I'll be back in a bit Ruby." She said. "Your friend is welcome to stay for dinner, and feel free to show her the training room if you're so inclined."

Ruby nodded once and gave Cinder a small smile. "M'kay."

Alone at last, Ruby and Blake looked at each other awkwardly.

Blake took in her younger friend's appearance. She looked tired, dark circles starting to form under her eyes. The boundless energy she usually had was clearly lacking at the moment. Ruby's face was pale, more so than usual, and there were bandages wrapped around her neck. At the sight of them Blake winced slightly.

"Blake?"

She looked over at the wall. "It's not important." She murmured. Ruby gave her a look. "Well... your neck. I-"

Ruby gave a weak smile and touched her throat gently. "It's not that bad." She said. "Besides, you're the one who stopped him, so you don't have to feel bad about it."

"Still..."

Ruby reached out and patted Blake on the head. "I'm okay Blake. Thanks for worrying about me though." She said. Blake sighed and lowered her head slightly, allowing Ruby to 'pet' her for a moment. Then she pulled away, a light blush on her cheeks.

"I, uh, brought some presents." She said, reaching into the small bag she'd brought, Blake pulled out two wrapped gifts. One was pristine, while the other had more tape than wrapping paper.

"That one's from Tukson." Blake said.

"Yay!" Ruby took them both and set them on the ottoman atop a large present, presumably from Cinder. "Thanks Blake."

The awkward silence came back for a moment as Ruby sat back down.

"Ummm, are you doing okay Blake?" Ruby asked. "I shouldn't have touched your head..."

"It's fine. The bandages are mostly for show now."

"That's good."

"So when are you planning to open your presents?"

Ruby brightened. "Not until Cinder gets back." She said. "And someone's going to bring a huge cake!"

"You mean Cinder's going to bring a cake?"

"Psh, no." Ruby said, crossing her arms proudly. "It's Cinder."

Blake smirked. "You have a point there."

The girls just talked for a while after that, working through the awkwardness and sorrow that still lingered after the rally. Neither had been brave enough to watch the news reports on the next day, but even just from walking around they could see that faunus were being treated even worse than before.

"Why don't they understand?" Blake asked at one point. "Why do they all just accept whatever bullshit is spoon fed to them by the media!?"

Ruby looked down at the ground. "I- I..."

Blake let out a big breath. "No... that was unnecessary. I'm sorry Ruby."

"It's... nothing Blake." Ruby said, trying for a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Still I shouldn't-"

Ruby sighed and Blake winced. A girl as bright and alive as Ruby should never make a sound like that.

"Sooo..." Ruby said. "Do you wanna look at the training room."

Blake looked smiled weakly. "Sure..." Because really, what else could she say.

All the same, Blake was somewhat surprised when, instead of going to a room inside the already spacious penthouse, Ruby led her across the hall to only other door on the story. When she saw that the entire space which would have become the other penthouse had been converted into a giant dojo, she could only gape.

"This is... unbelievable." Blake said.

Ruby crossed her arms behind her back sheepishly. "Yeah... it's... really really big."

"I think that's a bit of an understatement." After a moment of looking around the room, Blake turned her attention back to Ruby. "So how rich is Cinder exactly."

Ruby blinked. "Umm... rich enough for this?"

Blake cocked an eyebrow "No, really."

"Meanie"

"You have to admit that this is more than a bit of a surprise."

Ruby shrugged. "Cinder is Cinder, what's surprising about that?"

Blake sighed. "Never mind." Ruby was clearly incapable of questioning anything about Cinder Fall at the moment. Though if Blake called her out on it she'd be nothing more than the pot calling the kettle black. After all, until the... alley way... Blake had been similarly devoted to Adam.

"So Cinder trains you?" Blake asked. As a faunus, she'd had some training of her own, mostly in self defense and often with far too much real life experience. But she couldn't really see Ruby undergoing the same. The girl was far too rambunctious to have been trained with any sort of discipline.

"Umm, kinda?" Ruby said. "She's out a lot. So mostly it's just me..."

Blake didn't know quite what to make of that.

Of course, Ruby obviously wasn't training now. Not only was her throat badly bruised, but both of her wrists had been sprained from using the dust rifle. Between her aura and her own natural recovery speed, her wrists were almost fine now, but still too tender to do any sort of exercise.

Blake was much the same. Her concussion had left her painfully disoriented (especially for a cat). And even though she could walk in a straight line now she was still prone to chronic headaches and nausea.

So they didn't really do that much more in the training room. In the end they retreated back to the comfort of the couch and spent more time talking about unimportant things. Somehow, Blake ended up laying back against the arm of the couch with Ruby nestled in between her legs.

Blake decided it was a good thing that Ruby was so short, it let Blake rest her chin on top of Ruby's head.

"Mmmm, you're really comfy Blake." Ruby murmured.

"Hah..." Blake's eyelids fluttered once as she tried to stay awake. Ruby was like a big red blanket, and she was already tired from staying awake for so long. "I..."

Blake decided to just close her eyes for a moment. The light was a bit too much. She needed to rest her eyes, just for one second.

The second after she was asleep.

Upon discovering that her friend ha passed out between words, and that said friend had trapped her in a rather tight hug, Ruby did the intelligent thing and drifted off right after.

Cinder was almost surprised when she walked into the room and saw both girls practically wrapped around each other. on the couch If they didn't look criminally adorable like that, Ruby leaning back into Blake, who had her arms crossed around Ruby's stomach, she almost would have laughed at the absurdity of it.

A human and a faunus. At this point in time that was practically scandalous.

Faunus were barely aloud into Vale's combat schools after all especially after the rally. Despite all of that fool Ozpin's political maneuvering, they were still very much seen as second class citizens. And yet here they were, a human girl and a faunus one, sleeping together like sisters.

She decided not to wake them, even though the cake had just arrived. The two were completely exhausted no doubt.

But this was just to good to pass up. Pulling out her scroll, Cinder snapped a quick picture of the scene. Maybe it would come in handy later, but if nothing else it was still impossibly cute.

* * *

><p>Unsurprisingly, Ruby woke up first, being both more energetic naturally and lacking the head injury. She came to slowly, squirming slightly in an effort to get closer to that lovely piece of warmth that was wrapped around her. After a while she opened her eyes and yawned.<p>

"Good morning, my little gem."

Ruby's eyes snapped open. She would have jumped too if not for Blake's arms holding her in place.

"S-s-Cinder?"

Cinder smirked. "Enjoy your nap?"

Ruby nodded hastily, even as she began squirming, to no avail, to get out of Blake's possessive grasp. Said cat faunus was still happily asleep. She was in the sun, there's no waking up that.

But Ruby's attention was on something else.

"W-what did you call me?" Ruby's eyes were wide and vulnerable as she asked that question. The name was to close to home, to close to memories that Ruby did not want to unearth. Why? Why on Remnant would Cinder call Ruby _that_.

It was almost exactly the same as what her mother used to call her when she was barely more than a toddler.

"My little gem?"  
><em>'My little rose'<em>. A voice from the distant past echoed in Ruby's head. It brought with it memories of warmth and joy, but also much sadness and pain.

Ruby shivered.

Cinder woman laughed softly as she stood and moved over to where Ruby lay, still trapped, on the couch. "That's what you are, isn't it?" Cinder teased. "My precious little jewel."

_'My beautiful little flower_.' The memories whispered.

Ruby scrunched her eyes shut. Her mother's pet name for her, little rose, little flower. It had been so long since anyone had called Ruby something precious or beautiful. But it had been even longer since anyone had called Ruby '_mine'_.

"Do you not like it?"

Ruby shook her head. "I... call me that again... please?" Her silver eyes flashed with unrestrained need.

Cinder smiled, perfect. "Come here." She said, opening her arms. "My little gem."

Somehow Ruby escaped from Blake's grasp, leaving only a thin blanket of rose petals behind. She almost cried as Cinder's arms closed around her, holding her with a fierce possessiveness that threatened to swallow Ruby whole.

Cinder cooed softly in her ear. "Good girl..."

That was when Blake finally woke. Unlike Ruby, who slowly transitioned from sleeping to drowsing to finally waking. Blake's eyes opened right away, all lingering traces of tiredness vanishing as her body switched gears.

She awoke to what should have been a heartwarming scene, had she not seen the expression on Cinders face.

Instead of a gentle smile, or a warm or comforting or happy one, the grin Cinder wore was wicked and gleeful. She looked as if someone had just handed her all of Vale on a silver platter.

And in an instant she wiped that expression off of her face, and replaced it with a warm, caring, understanding smile that looked no less real than the diabolical grin that had been there only seconds before.

For a moment, Blake panicked. She close her eyes, faking sleep as she tried to think.

The expression on Cinder's face. It had only been there for a second, and the smile just seemed so real. It couldn't be fake... could it?

There was something very, very, wrong at work here. Blake was confused, but more than that, she was afraid.

She had been wary of Cinder, but never once did she think that the woman would be able to fool her senses so completely. And that disbelief added even more weight to the other side, but all the same-

"Shall we wake up your friend now, little gem?"

"I don't know..." Ruby whispered. "She was really really tired today!"

How did Ruby figure that ou- no, focus Blake. Now as not the time.

Yawning, Blake stretched out, arching her back and reaching her arms way above her head.

"Morning Blake!" Ruby chirped as Blake sat up and opened her eyes.

"It's the afternoon, Ruby." She said, forcing her lips into a small and genuine (she hoped) smile.

"Yeah but you just woke up." Ruby said. "So I said good morning, see?"

Blake sighed and stood. "Of course."

Cinder set Ruby down, but Blake noticed how the girl made no move to distance herself. She didn't quite know what to make of that, so for the moment she settled on reacting, on not giving anything away.

Cinder smiled. "Now then, I believe it's time for the main event." She gestured to the table, where a small but incredibly intricate looking cake sat.

"Yay! Cake!" Ruby said from where she sat at the table. Blake and Cinder both blinked, glancing back to where Ruby had just been. Rose petals, neither of them had seen her move.

Cinder laughed, and even Blake was forced to grin. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Well what are you guys waiting for?" Ruby asked.

"Don't forget the cups, little gem." Cinder said.

"Oh right!" Ruby zipped over to the cabinets, then the fridge. In short order there were three cups on the table along with several different drinks. "Whaddaya want to drink Blake?"

Blake coughed into her fist. "I'll... I'll have milk."

"Okay!" Ruby missed Cinder's secretive smirk and raised brow, but Blake could almost hear the unspoken insult. _In a cup or a saucer?_

Then the moment passed as Cinder ensured that Ruby didn't spill everything. The woman was far too politic to say something like that anyway. Before, Blake might have even brushed off the glance as if it were nothing, but now it was just one more piece of evidence that there was something else to Cinder Fall.

Blake didn't know what to make of it all. She knew there was something up, but she had no evidence other than a fleeting glance and a gut instinct. So for now, she wouldn't do anything. She would be Ruby's friend and do her best to repay the energetic, lovable, little girl for all that Ruby had given her.

She let out a breath and refocused on the party just in time to see Cinder deftly plucked a knife from Ruby's hands before she could try and cut the cake with it.

"You forgot the candles, little gem."

Even Blake was impressed with how Cinder lit the candles with just a touch of her finger. Cinder and Ruby both just used their semblances so _easily._

"Happy birthday Ruby." Blake said.

"Don't forget to make a wish."

"Yeah!" Ruby scrunched her eyes shut for a moment, thinking very hard about her wish no doubt, then she blew out the candles.

After that it was just a matter of eating, and somehow Ruby managed to pack away more of the cake than Cinder and Blake combined. She was bouncing off walls afterwards, literally.

"...Presents?" Blake asked, wondering if remembering her gifts would cause Ruby to slow down or speed up even more.

Ruby slid to a stop next to the ottoman, wide grin on her face. "Oh oh oh! I can't believe I actually have presents! This is the best!"

There was something impossibly sad about that statement, but Blake pushed it aside.

Out of the three gifts Ruby had, Cinder's was by far the largest, nearly the size of the ottoman and at least a foot high. It was heavy too, judging by the way the ottoman nearly sagged beneath it's weight. Tukson's looked like a book, big surprise, and Blake's was small and of indeterminate origin.

Ruby looked at the pile with huge eyes, practically shaking with excitement as she tried to pick which one to open first.

"Largest to smallest?" Cinder offered with a small smirk. She picked up the smaller two gifts and set them on the chair. "I think that will be the most... satisfying order."

"Okay..." Ruby was practically licking her lips as she reached out and gripped the wrapping paper of Cinder's gift. "One, two... three!" She tore off the wrapping, revealing...

Ruby gasped. "A starter weapon-buildingkitwithmechashiftpartsandthreeprogramedweaponsohmigodohmigodohmigod!"

"Calm down, Ruby." Cinder said with a laugh. "You're hyperventilating."

"B-but it's just so cool!"

It was a starter weapon building kit, one of the latest models. "It is rather cool." Blake said as she moved over to Ruby's side to get a better look at the box.

It was mostly unadorned. After all, a weapon kit was hardly something you could buy at a supermarket, so there was no need for the box to advertise itself. Nevertheless, the front did list the features this particular kit boasted.

This starter kit had some of the latest mechashift technology along with three basic template weapons to get an aspiring weapon maker started.

Blake thought Ruby would probably build the mace/shotgun first, before scrapping the directions entirely. She'd start in on her own insane creations after that.

"Tukson's present goes well with that." Blake noted, handing it to Ruby. "Here."

Ruby destroyed the wrapping paper once more. Rather than a thin book, like she initially expected, the wrapping fell away to reveal a thick magazine.

It was a magazine with all of the latest information on- wait for it -weapons.

Ruby almost died and went to heaven right there.

Just from a glance at the cover, Ruby could tell the magazine had everything. The newest trends hunters followed? On the first page. The most recent innovations in mechashift? Try a whole section. The newest breakthroughs of dust casting weapons? That, and much much more.

"This is amazing!" Ruby squealed. She hugged the magazine close to her chest with a humongous grin. With this... "I can make ANYTHING!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, little gem." Cinder said. "Besides, you still have one last gift to open."

Ruby gave Blake a huge smile as the older girl bashfully handed Ruby her small present.

"I'm sorry it's not something better..." Blake said.

"Blaaaaaake~" Ruby whined. "I'm sure it's amazing!"

"..."

Slowly, and with another smile, Ruby removed the wrapping paper. It was as if she were trying to savor the feel of opening her last gift.

Inside, nestled in several layers of thin brown paper lay an elegant silver bracelet made of metal links. It had a single yellow gemstone as the only adornment, along with extra links to make the bracelet longer, and an odd looking clasp.

"It's actually a dust crystal." Blake said. "I had it disguised as a topaz by... a friend of mine."

Ruby grinned. "That's so cool! It's like a secret weapon!"

Blake's ears twitched. "Also... the clasp is actually a whistle. It makes a pitch only cats can hear." She blushed lightly and looked away. "Well... cats and..."

"Cat faunus?" Ruby asked.

Blake nodded. "It's usually really annoying. I can hear things that most other people, faunus included, just can't." She said. "But I guess it's useful here..."

Ruby looked at the whistle, then back to Blake. There really weren't that many cat faunus in Vale, so...

"If you ever need my help, or even just see me across a crowded room and want to talk, just blow this and I'll hear it..." Her shoulders slumped. "I knows it's not a very good gift and-"

Ruby practically threw herself forward, wrapping Blake in a huge hug. "It's the best gift ever!" She said. "You're a great friend, Blake."

Blake froze for a few seconds, before returning the hug silently.

The two separated a moment later. "Thank you so much Blake." Ruby said, snapping the bracelet onto her wrist. "Oh! And tell Tukson thanks for the magazine too!" She paused for a second. "This has got be the best birthday ever."

She said that last with a melancholy smile. Ruby didn't want the day to end; it had been so much fun. But it was getting late. Soon, Blake would have to go home and Cinder would have other things she had to do.

And even though Ruby would never ever forget this day, it would still eventually come to an end.

Cinder tutted, ruffling Ruby's hair once. "You're party isn't over quite yet, little gem" She said softly. Ruby watched, confused, as Cinder left the room and returned with one last gift.

"It took me a while to find this." She mentioned as Ruby took the parcel from her. "Go on then, open it. There's no point in standing on ceremony, especially when it isn't really a gift per se..."

After a moment's wait, Ruby tore off a strip of the wrapping paper, revealing a swath of soft _red_ fabric.

Ruby's eyes widened in shock. Her hands began trembling violently as she tried to tear off he rest of the wrapping paper.

Blake immediately started to help, and shortly after Ruby was holding a large red cloak. It sat draped over her arms, unassuming, but impossibly important all the same.

She could only stare at it, breath coming in short gasps, as she tried to process what lay before her. It was- It was-

It was too much for her to bear.

Ruby broke down crying, holding the cloak close to her chest. Cinder pulled her into a tight hug and Ruby buried her face in the woman's shoulder.

"M-m-mommy made it for me." Ruby gasped out. "to k-keep me s-safe when s-she couldn't."

And truly, the day she lost it was the day when things really started to go wrong.

* * *

><p>It was Ruby's birthday today. They both had their separate ways of dealing with that fact.<p>

Qrow told Ozpin he was taking the day off. He spent it searching the city for Ruby. From dawn till deepest night he combed the streets and alleys of Vale. If Ruby had been outside at all on her birthday, he almost definitely would have found her.

But she wasn't, and he didn't, and the next day he would return to his task as if nothing had ever happened.

Yang was feeling worthless and self destructive, and so went to visit a place from her nightmares.

There was a house a few miles away from where Yang lived. She'd been there once, before. Before everything.

She'd been childish then, a child, even more than she'd been on _that_ day. No... on _that_ day she had been selfish, but she couldn't blame it on childishness.

But yes, Yang Xiao Long had made a mistake once. She'd wanted to see her mother. So when her father and Summer had both left one day, she'd take Ruby, barely more than two, and set out on a journey.

The house had been miles away, somewhere she barely remembered.

Perhaps if she had remembered in full she would never have gone. Or perhaps she still would have, no one ever accused Yang of being timid. But she never would have brought Ruby, her sweet innocent little rose, along with her...

On Ruby's birthday, Yang made that journey once more.

The dirt road she'd followed years ago had almost ceased to exist all together. She had to force her way through the undergrowth when she started nearing her destination. Once she almost fell into a ravine, barely keeping her balance.

It took her twice as long as she remembered to finally reach the house.

She was sweaty and sore, with shallow cuts on her arms and twigs in her hair. But regardless, Yang Xiao Long stood tall before the place of her nightmares. She could still see the scythe marks in the ancient wood.

"Come on out bitches!" She shouted into the darkness. "I know you're there! You want some tasty human?! Well come and get it!"

The red eyes were just the same as she remembered. As she glared into the house, shadows slipped from the darkness, homing in on Yang's sorrow and self hatred like flies to honey.

Yang stood, head bowed and fists clenched around her metal training caestus. She let them circle, let them surround her. Three shades of hatred and evil surrounded her.

For a moment, Yang felt right at home.

Then the shadows fell on her.

These were weak grimm, one huntress could clear them all with a single sweep of her blade. But Yang was no huntress, she was a eleven year old girl drowning in her own loathing.

Yang roared and charged the first grimm, ignoring the two that swept around behind her. It's eyes seemed to flash as it knocked her weak punch aside, backhanding her into the other grimm.

Her arms came up, an instinct, as the jaws of the two beowolf pups descended. Their teeth locked around the metal instead of piercing the skin. But even still, one of them shook it's head, tossing her into a tree.

Yang collapsed to the ground with an 'oof'. She tried to get back onto her feet only to have something slam into her chest, crushing her back against the tree.

Yang screamed, pushing, and somehow managing to force the beowolf off of her before it could bite.

Another slammed into her side, sending her flying across the clearing once more.

She tried to stand. Her gauntleted fist found the snout of one wolf, turning it aside. She blocked the other, but the third took her legs right out from under her, sending her back to the ground.

Yang's breath came in short gasps as the monsters descended upon her. Claws scored across her back, her arms, leaving trails of liquid fire. She forced herself to her knees, fighting through the pain if it. Tongues of flame started to dance across her form as she rose. She was going to make it back to her feet. She was going to. fucking. stand!

Then a maw filled with impossibly sharp teeth clamped down around her shoulder, and Yang's world exploded.

A cloak of fire shrouded her form, blowing the beowolves backwards. Yang surged up. Her crimson eyes locked onto the grimm in front of her. With a shout, she charged them. She beat them all into dust.

As the dust blew away on the wind, Yang stood silently, her arm outstretched and eyes glowing red.

On a day much like this one, Summer Rose had saved her two daughters with a single sweep of her scythe.

On Ruby's birthday, Yang threw herself into the maw of Hell and punched so hard it spit her back again.

Slowly, Yang Xiao Long, sank to her knees. Her arms felt so heavy. Her body felt so heavy. The flames around her flickered and died, and Yang toppled to the ground.

The darkness rushed to claim her, and the nightmares returned once more.

* * *

><p>AN: A big thanks to: patrick the almighty observer, Zev610, ocomfv, Mistic Shadow, Electric Eclectic, SharkBiteDynamite, Trying to Put Pen to Paper, EverCharady, Banana, jduncan1, we love us, Drow79, and P.T. Piranha for leaving reviews. And thank you to everyone else who followed and favorited.

Also a big thanks to Trying to Put Pen to Paper for betaing this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it.

A few story related notes next.  
>1) Ruby does not know that she killed the two mercenaries. She knows she hurt them badly, but she never thought they were dead, simply unconscious. She may or may not discover the truth in the future, but at the moment, she is not suffering from the psychological effects of having her 'first kill'<br>2) Got one or two mentions about paring in reviews. Naturally, all of the girls are too young to worry about that right now, but currently, Ladybug is the most likely paring for the future. Followed by RubyXPenny (joking)

And that's that. Don't forget to fav/follow/review!

Oh, one last thing. My classes start tomorrow, so I'm not sure yet how much time I'll have to write. I'll do my best to have another chapter ready by next week.


	5. Upon the Mountain's Roots

**Upon the Mountain's Roots**

Things were quiet in the wake of the faunus rally, but also incredibly tense. Every time Ruby went into the city she noticed it, people talking in hushed voiced about the 'Dust Massacre' as it had come to be called.

The faunus traveled in small, tightly knit, groups, eyeing the outside world warily, as if they expected to be attacked at any moment. The humans on the other hand, watched any passing faunus with harsh and judgmental eyes, as if the faunus were feral animals out of a cage. Both sides clearly wanted to blame the other for the massacre, and neither was willing to compromise.

Even Blake had been more quiet and taciturn than usual in the days after Ruby's birthday. The party had helped her recover mentally, but the stifling atmosphere of Vale was doing it's best to destroy that progress.

Ruby could still pull Blake out of her shell, with a little work, but otherwise the cat faunus was withdrawn, angry, and passive aggressive.

Ruby was starting to worry about her friend's attitude, so she decided to do something to distract her.

She brought her weapon kit to the book shop.

She received more than a few odd looks, walking down the streets of Vale with a large oil stained backpack slung over her shoulders. It was big enough that Ruby _herself_ could have fit inside of it, and it looked as heavy as two of her.

But back to the matter at hand...

"Hi Blake!" *Crash!*

Blake's eyebrow twitched as the regarded the lumpy, _smelly_, backpack that Ruby had just dumped on the floor in front of her. Ruby flipped open the top and began rummaging around inside of the bag as she started to hum happily to herself.

"Ruby, what is that."

"Hm?" Ruby looked up. "Oh! It's my weapon stuff, see!" She pulled out a small a battered looking toolbox, which caused a pile of parts to spill out onto the floor. "There you are!" Ruby shouted, snatching something from the mess.

It looked like... half of a sword hilt, with an almost nonexistent guard and the casing mostly stripped away to reveal a complicated inside of gears, pistons, and wires.

Blake watched as Ruby pulled out her tools and began to tinker with the hilt, adding pieces seemingly at random before removing them, switching them out, or forcing them into place.

"I thought you'd start with the mace." Blake noted.

"Huh? Oh I finished that one already, it was boring. The mace didn't even turn into and actual shotgun! It just had an opening in the top to shoot from!" Ruby puffed out her cheeks as she remembered the outrage of it.

Blake laughed quietly at Ruby's indignation. "The nerve of some people." She said. Then the implications of Ruby's statment caught up to her. "Wait. You mean you already finished building a mechashift weapon? It's only been a week."

Ruby tilted her head sideways. "Well, yeah... it's been a whole week, of course I've finished it" She said. Blake then realized that she'd barely seen Ruby at all in the past seven days, but still.

"Did Cinder help you at all?"

"Nope!" Ruby shook her head. "The mace was just so easy that I didn't even ask."

This girl...

Blake sighed, setting her book down as she tried to get over the fact Ruby had build her first weapon in a week. She thought back to when the exuberant little girl had first started visiting the book shop, and bought a new book almost every other day.

"Ruby..." Blake said. "How many of the books you bought were about... making weapons?"

"All of them!" She chirped. Then Ruby turned her attention back to the hilt, sliding metal casing into place over the mechanisms in the hilt before pulling out a screw driver.

"This is actually kinda unstable..." She said with a small frown as she fastened hilt together. "It should be welded at least."

Blake almost laughed. "Obviously." She said. "Never mind that no sane person would ever trust a nine year old with a welding torch."

"Yeah..." Ruby said with a wistful look. "Cinder said she won't let me get one until I'm eleven..."

"That is... mildly disturbing." Blake said. "That aside, wouldn't welding the hilt together melt the inside material as well."

Ruby shook her head. "I'd weld the hilt shut first then put the mechanism in." She paused for a moment lost in thought. "But maybe..."

Blake flicked her on the forehead before she could get too caught up in whatever fantasy she was about to dive into. "So what are you working on now?"

Ruby grinned. Project stop Blake from Brooding was a thrilling success! "Something really cool!" She said. Reaching back into her bag she pulled out a small box containing a knife blade. "So the sword had a telesco-telescoop-tele..."

"Telescoping blade?" Blake supplied.

"Yeah! But it didn't have a good ranged weapon, so I just took the top part of the blade" She pointed. "And modified it a little." There was weighted fuller welded to the bottom, courtesy of Cinder probably. "And now I just do this..."

She snapped the blade into the hilt, creating a long dagger, almost a short sword for Ruby actually. "and voila!"

Blake raised an eyebrow as Ruby started wrapping the hilt in a strip of fabric. She stuck her tongue out in concentration as she tried to get the weave right.

"There, done." She held her sword over her head and struck a pose. Blake scooted backwards.

"So what does it do?" She asked. If she hadn't seen Ruby finish assembling the hilt right in front of her, Blake would pin the dagger as 'vanilla' weapon. Still as a creation of the devil known only as Ruby Rose, that dagger was probably anything but normal.

"Oh, right!" Ruby said. "Well you just press this button on the hilt and-" The blade shot out of the hilt so fast it whistled. Blake and Ruby both jerked backwards as it flew straight up and lodged itself four inches into the ceiling.

"then it does that... yeah." Ruby finished. She glanced from the hilt in her hands to the blade. "Now I just need to get it down."

"That's impressive." Blake said. "But you're throwing away your primary weapon if you do that."

"Oh yeah! That's what I forgot to do!" Ruby said, a lightbulb going off over her head. She ran back over to her backpack and pulled out a several spools of wire. "I even put in the reel but forgot to get the string... hehe."

Blake sighed, that was so typical Ruby.

"So how far should I make it go?"

"I don't know actually."

"Hmm." Ruby scratched her chin. "Twenty feet? Yeah let's go with that! That's what I read in the book after all." She selected one small spool of wire and put the rest back. "Tukson! Do you have a ladder?" She called.

A moment later Tukson walked over. "Why on earth do you want a ladder...?" Blake smirked at him and pointed to the ceiling. Tukson blinked. "I see." He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Forget the ladder, let me give you a boost kid."

"M'kay!" Ruby said. She hopped into his arms and giggled as he hoisted her up to the ceiling. Reaching up she managed to tie wire around the eye hole in the bottom of the blade. "I got it!"

Tukson put her back down, looking between the grinning little girl and the knife blade still stuck in his ceiling. "Why is that still up there?"

"Just give me a second." Ruby said, returing to the knife hilt. She quickly took it apart and inserted the wire before putting it back together. "You might wanna stand back guys!". She grinned and clicked the button.

With a hiss the wire began to spool in as all twenty feet of it was pulled into the hilt. When the line grew taught it quivered for a moment before yanking the blade right out of the ceiling and snapping it back into the hilt. "Success!"

She held her newly completed ballistics knife over her head and started doing a little dance. Then Tukson reached over and plucked it out of her hands.

"No more weapon testing in my book shop." He said with a small grin.

"Awww."

"So what are you going to call it?"

"Huh?"

Blake sighed, but it did nothing to hide her smile. "What are you going to call it?" She repeated. "All hunters in training name their hand crafted weapons. It's a way of showing respect to something that's more than a tool, but rather an extension of self."

Ruby nodded in understanding. "Okay..." She turned to Tukson. "Can I have it back please?" She asked. "I promise I won't shoot it anymore!"

Tukson gave a short laugh. "Somehow I don't believe that." He said, handing the dagger back to Ruby. She grinned at him.

Sitting down, Ruby balanced the weapon on her palms and looked at it. "So what's your name, little guy?"

She examined her new dagger slowly, taking in every aspect of it: the black leather of the grip, the way the blade tapered to a point, how the steel was blackened from where Cinder attached the counterweight.

It was not a bright or an eye catching weapon. On the other hand, it was quiet, understated, and all the more deadly because of it. It was a weapon made by Ruby Rose, but was almost the exact opposite of her in every way she could think of.

And yet despite the differences in personality, the dagger felt comfortable in her hands, natural, like it was a part of her.

Ruby smiled. "Somber Thorn." She whispered, looking up. "It's name is Somber Thorn."

She pulled out a small leather sheath from her bag, frowning for a second at how dirty it was before putting Somber Thorn away.

She sighed and stretched her arms over her head. "So! What should I build next!" She asked

Blake smiled wanely. "Maybe you should take a break Ruby." She said, wrinkling her nose. "When was the last time you had a bath?"

"Umm..."

Tukson laughed. "I wondered what that smell was." He said with a grin. "I thought it was the bag, but now that you mention it..."

Ruby pouted. "Meanies!"

"Ruby, you're my best friend." Blake said. "But that doesn't mean I like being around you when you smell like a car engine."

"Hmph-!"

The door of the shop pinged once. Tukson glanced over his shoulder. "Be back in a sec kids." He said. "Don't put any more holes in my ceiling."

"What's that about holes, Tukson?" A voice called back. A moment later Arthur, the lion faunus, walked into sight. He smiled softly at Blake and Ruby. "Ah I see I came in time. And what's this, weapons?" He patted Ruby's head. "You are a girl with many talents."

Ruby looked up at him with wide eyes, before glancing off to the side. Blake and Tukson were equally shocked.

"I'm sorry for showing up out of the blue." Arthur conceded. "I wished to find Ms. Rose here, and I remembered hearing that she spends a good deal of time at your store." He said to Tukson.

Ruby glanced back up at him in surprise. "You were... looking for me?"

Arthur nodded. "The world is changing." He said suddenly. "As is the White Fang. In part, child, you are to thank that some of these changes has been positive."

Ruby blinked. "Me-?"

"Yes." He said. "Here, see one of the changes you have brought about." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small necklace which he handed to Ruby. It was a simple thong of black leather from which hung an unadorned white fang.

"You view the world with innocent eyes, Ruby Rose." He said. "And for reaching out to one of ours for no reason but compassion and justice, we will do the same for you. That necklace is a symbol of your standing with the White Fang, marking you as friend and ally to we who fight for equality. As you came to our aid, so too will we come to yours."

Ruby gaped at the necklace. Her eyes watered slightly as she remembered the Rally. "I..." she rubbed her eyes and sniffled. "I-I don't deserve something l-like this." She said. "I-"

"Hush child." Arthur said. "You deserve this and much more." He stood, dusting off his cloak and the suit underneath. "I do apologize for drawing you back to painful memories, only to vanish, but I have many matters to attend to today. This one was simply the most important."

With one last mirthful smile at Ruby's gobsmacked expression, he vanished behind the bookshelves. The door pinged once more a second later, before closing with a soft thud.

Ruby looked over at Blake and Tukson, holding up the necklace in askance. She looked like a lost lamb that had just been taken back to the pasture by a wolf. Blake took pity on her young friend and moved to her side.

She took the necklace from Ruby's limp fingers, fastening it around her neck. "There you go." Blake said. "It suits you."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks Blake."

"Hm." Tukson nodded to himself. "Well I have to take inventory, so I'll leave you two for now." He started to walk away before pausing and turning back and fixing Ruby with a look. "Remember, no more weapon testing in my store."

Ruby giggled. "Okay Tukson!"

"I mean it."

Ruby and Blake shared a smile. Then Ruby sighed and leaned back against the bookshelves.

"What's the matter Ruby?" Blake asked.

Ruby shrugged helplessly. "It's just... all of these really important people keep... doing stuff like this." She said, gesturing to the necklace. "I don't know why... I didn't do anything worth THIS."

Blake laughed lightly as she sat by Ruby's side. "I'm not sure what's more ridiculous." She said. "That you saved me from two armed mercenaries by yourself, or that you don't think it's a big deal."

"It's not though! You're my friend!"

Blake shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like looking at the world through your eyes." She said, flicking Ruby on the forehead. "Then I realize that doing so would probably drive me crazy."

"Blaaaake!"

"You attract these people's attention because you do impossible things." Blake continued. "You unlocked your Semblance and your Aura on your own as a child, for one. I'm sure you don't think that's a big deal either."

Ruby looked down at the ground. "I had to..."

Blake glanced over in surprise. "Hm?"

"I unlocked my semblance cause I had to." She said softly. "There were people chasing me, and I had to move really really fast... I was going to be caught, and they were going to hurt me... I just couldn't run any faster, but then I COULD." Ruby shivered once. "I thought it was a miracle, and I cried."

"Ruby?"

"Because why did I get a miracle _then_. Why didn't I get it before, back when- when..." Ruby hiccuped once, pressing her hands into her eyes. "when..."

Blake sighed once, pulling Ruby into a hug. "It's okay Ruby." She said. She patted Ruby's hair as the younger girl started to sob lightly.

After a while Ruby quieted, leaning into Blake's shoulder. "C'mon." Blake said. "We should get you home."

Ruby nodded once, stumbling to her feet before she packed all of her tools up in a bag and slung it over her shoulders. "Ooff." Ruby shrugged. "It felt lighter this morning..."

"I'm surprised you can carry that at all."

Ruby smiled a little. "I'm a big girl."

The two left the shop and started down the street. "You are." Blake said. "but you shouldn't have to be."

"Well..." Ruby looked up at the sky "Someone has to be, right?"

Blake shrugged and stayed close to Ruby. Ruby's presence diffused most of the hostile glares she usually received while walking the streets. At times it was so bad that Blake had contemplated wearing a bow to cover her ears, before her pride killed that idea.

"So do you want to stay over for a bit?" Ruby asked as they reached her building.

Blake shrugged, holding the door open for Ruby. "Sure. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, actually?"

"Really?" Ruby asked as they boarded the elevator. "What?"

"It's about Aura." Blake said.

"Oh?" Ruby asked.

Blake nodded once. "It's just... at the rally, I was helpless." She grimaced once. She remembered the screaming, the shouting, the ebb and flow of the crowd. It was like being caught in a storm on the sea, tossed about like a piece of driftwood.

She barely avoided being trampled by the mob, never mind the mercenaries that found her afterwards. Blake was strong and in good shape for her age, even for a faunus, but the ability to use Aura just put people on a different order of magnitude.

Ruby shook her head, right away she saw where Blake was going. "So was I Blake..." She said.

Blake sighed. "I know it's just." She shrugged. "I'm tired of being weak. Aren't you."

Ruby nodded sadly. "So we should help each other become stronger." Blake said.

"Well..." Ruby remembered the Rally too. Of not being able to do anything but run and run and RUN. She didn't want to feel that again either.

"Okay." She said, with a determined nod. "We'll go to the training room." After Ruby dumped her backpack in her room, took a quick shower and pulled out Somber Thorn, they moved over to the training room.

"So... What did you want to start with...?" Ruby asked hesitantly.

"I have some training in martial arts." She said. She'd learned a lot in the self defense classes that the White Fang held. Adam had picked up on her enthusiasm and aptitude and under him she'd started even more advanced classes. While she didn't have the strength or the size yet to be a threat, she had a good deal of technique. "I'll help you with that."

"And what should I do?"

"I was hoping, that you could help me unlock my Aura." Blake said, glancing away.

Ruby blinked. "Really? Oh that's easy! Be right back." She dashed out of the room. Blake absentmindedly brushed a stray rose petal out of her hair.

"Easy?"

A second later Ruby came back with a big book. She slammed in on the floor and began flipping through the pages. "Let me see..." She started nibbling on a strand of her hair, before Blake reached out and pulled it from her mouth. Ruby, being Ruby, didn't even notice.

"Aha! Here it is!" Ruby pushed the book towards Blake. "I can unlock your aura using mine."

Blake took the tome. She sparred a brief glance towards the picture of two glowing figures holding hands before reading the text. "...a brief, personal, chant... as you push a portion of your aura into the other, to release theirs." She said. "Seems simple enough."

Ruby took the book back. "See! I told you it was easy."

Blake nodded, a small but eager smile forming on her face. "Shall we start?"

Ruby giggled. "Just a second. I need to double check." She started flipping through the pages and scanning short sections of text. "Aura is dangerous."

Blake moved her to her friend's side. "That's new." She noted.

"the... book?"

"No." Blake shook her head. "The double checking. You're usually much more reckless."

Ruby puffed out her cheeks. "Am not!"

"Says the girl who brought a vial of red dust to Tukson's shop."

"Cinder said I needed more practice!"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "In the book store."

Ruby huffed and shut the book. "Well if you're going to be like that maybe I don't want to help you after all."

Blake smirked. Ruby's will crumbled.

Blake was her friend after all. And Ruby would do almost anything for her friends. She puffed out her cheeks again, glaring at Blake for a moment.

"Fine!" She said. "But only because I want to be the only one inside of you!" Silence.

.

.

.

"Ruby." Blake began, trying to keep a straight face. "What did you just say?"

"I want to be inside of you."

Blake cradled her face in her palms. "No." She said. "Just no."

"Blake?" Ruby asked.

"I think the worst part is that you don't even understand what you just said."

"Understand what?" Ruby asked. "What don't I get."

"No."

"Blaaaake!"

"You're too young, ask Cinder." Blake said.

"Hmph!" Ruby puffed out her cheeks. "Whatever." She reached out and snagged Blake's hand, clamping it between her palms. "Meanie."

"Ruby wha-"

Blake cut off when Ruby began glowing red. "Let my soul be your shield, let your heart be my friend." She said. Slowly the red aura began creeping up Blake's arms. She could feel it pushing against her, like an energetic puppy begging to be played with. She felt something inside of her move in response. "So that when we are far apart, this may protect you instead."

Blake's world exploded.

As Ruby released her hand Blake staggered backwards, eyes widening slightly at the sudden feeling of _rightness_.

As her own shadowy aura shrouded her, Blake let out a sigh of relief. She felt so free. It was like an immense burden she hadn't noticed had been lifted from her shoulders. Blake felt light as feathers, light as air, light as-

*Thump*

Blake's eyes snapped back to her friend. "Ruby?"

Ruby's body, now lying on the floor in a disjointed heap, trembled once before drawing still.

"Ruby!" Blake rushed to her friend's side, pulling Ruby's head onto her lap. "Ruby what's wrong?" Ruby's eyelids fluttered, but otherwise she gave no indication that she heard. If she was breathing it was to fast and shallow for even Blake to detect.

Hand trembling, Blake reached and placed two fingers on the side of Ruby's neck. In a moment she found Ruby's pulse. It was weak, erratic, and slow. Blake cursed under her breath.

Seized by a sudden inspiration she reached into the pocket of Ruby's shorts, scrambling for the younger girl's scroll. Blake pulled up the contact list quickly, here eyes darting back and forth between Ruby and the scroll.

There it was. Blake selected Ruby's only contact and pressed call.

"Please pick up." She whispered as it started to ring. "Please."

* * *

><p>Cinder was almost at her meeting when her scroll started to buzz. With a quizzical frown she pulled it out of the cleverly hidden pocket of her dress. Ruby's face was on the screen.<p>

Ruby had never called Cinder on her scroll before.

She pressed accept and did her best to stay calm. "Ruby? What do you-"

"Come back quick-!" That was... _Blake's_ voice? "Ruby's needs help."

Cinder froze, golden eyes narrowing to thin slits. Lowering her phone for an instant she grabbed her VP. "Run the meeting, I have to leave."

The man looked at her in shock. "Ms. Cinder what are you talking about?" But she was already down the hall, heading back towards the parking garage as fast as decorum would allow.

"Tell me what happened. Now." She said.

"I- we-" Blake paused for a moment, finding her thoughts. "Ruby unlocked my aura."

Cinder practically growled. Tossing decorum by the wayside she started to run. "Foolish _children_!" Entering the parking garage she singled to her chauffeur to start the car. "She had best be alive when I get there." She said quietly into the scroll. "Or you won't be by the time that I leave."

Cinder ended the call and turned to the driver.

"The penthouse." She commanded. "Now."

* * *

><p>Ruby's pulse was only growing weaker. Her breaths were only becoming more shallow.<p>

By this time Blake had, through the haze of her panic and fear, managed to put together what was wrong. Ruby had spent too much of her own aura unlocking Blake's. Her body was slowly dying for want of a soul, and with Blake's enhanced senses she could see it happening second by second.

Well, Blake thought, if Ruby didn't have enough aura, Blake had no choice except to give some back.

Slowly, she reached out and clasped Ruby's hand close her to chest. She closed her eyes and breathed out, gathering her newly awakened aura around her. It was unwieldy and hard to pin down, mischievous like a cat.

But Blake's need was greater, and she took hold of her aura and pushed it into Ruby. Black water poured out of her hands and into her friend, slowly, Ruby's breath became stronger, color returned to her cheeks.

As she pushed her aura into Ruby, Blake could _feel_ that this would normally be impossible. Even inside of her friends body, Blake's aura still belonged to her. Forcing Ruby's body to accept it would be like feeding her poison.

But Blake's aura had just been awakened, it was still mostly formless. It had yet to take on the full essence of Blake's own soul. And more to the point, her aura had just been unlocked by Ruby's own, and still carried the lingering taste of the younger girl's being.

And so it was enough. It was enough to let Blake save Ruby from their own foolishness.

She could feel that, if she stopped focusing for a moment, all of her aura would return to her, so she just didn't stop. She kept pushing more and more aura into Ruby, to keep her alive for long enough for Cinder to make it back.

Slowly, Blake's vision began to waver. Her breath grew uneven and ragged and her entire body started to tremble. She could feel her life slipping out of her fingers.

Her field of view constricted, growing dim at the edges before fading to black entirely. She lost her peripheral vision first. Then the light slowly dwindled away moment by moment, until all she could see was Ruby's sleeping face.

_So this is what dying feels like_.

With one last smile to her closest friend, Blake let her eyes drift shut.

"Blake!"

It was like she had been sinking into a pool of warm water, and someone had poured a bucket of ice down her back.

She felt another hand grab her own, even as her eyes snapped back open in surprise. "Ru-by?"

She was greeted with the sight of Ruby, glowing red, as she pushed her own aura, or rather Blake's but with feel of Ruby's, back into her friend.

"Ruby what are you doing?!" Blake shouted even as she felt breath return to her lungs. Ruby was breathing heavily, but Blake had enough presence of mind to keep the insane cycle of aura transference going.

"I'm stopping you from killing yourself!" Ruby shouted back.

"That's-" Blake shook her head. "That's what I'm supposed to be doing! Ruby stop!"

"No!" Ruby cried, tears were streaming down her cheeks. How had Blake not noticed that before. "You're not allowed to leave me! You're not! Never ever!"

"I-" But whatever Blake was going to say was cut off as the world began to _tilt_.

Both girls gasped, holding onto each other tighter as their senses began to blur. The aura, now belonging to neither one, nor both, of them continued to swirl. It made a maelstrom of black and red, wreathing Ruby and Blake in a panorama of light and color and dragging their souls along for the ride.

Both were lost in the storm. Identities blurred together and apart, and for an instant something else formed.

"She" was confused by the sudden change of events.

Was "she" Blake, looking into a pair of yellow eyes, or was she Ruby looking into silver ones? Was she the human, or the faunus, the savior or the victim, the older or the younger?

All of that identity was all lost in the swirl of aura and soul. They were not one, "_she_" was _two_.

And then the link was shattered as a hand came down and struck Blake's body away. The moment their hand's lost contact, Blake's aura snapped back to her body. Blake and Ruby's souls were ripped away from each other, rebounding like a whip.

Both girls cried out in shock and pain. Blake began trembling on the ground while Ruby shuddered once and lay still.

Blake couldn't see it, but a moment later the feeling of intense warmth filled the room. It was as if someone had lit a bonfire a short distance away from her, and the heat washed away her trembling.

Her eyesight returned in time to catch a glimpse of Cinder holding Ruby, a palm pressed to her chest, as a soft white glow pulsed around them.

Cinder glanced over her shoulder, catching Blake's eyes with an inscrutable stare, before turning back to her charge.

Blake's pulse settled, and she relaxed into the padded floor assured in the knowledge that Ruby was in good hands. Letting out a sigh of relief, Blake let herself fall asleep.

The next morning she woke up on the small cot in the back of Tukson's shop. There was a note on the pillow, written in Tukson's inelegant scrawl, that said there was a bottle of water and a tuna sandwich in the refrigerator, and that they were going to have a 'talk' once Tukson got back.

Also, Cinder had told him to convey that Blake was not welcome at the penthouse for the time being, and to not expect to see Ruby again any time soon.

Blake sighed and grabbed the food. It was nothing less than she deserved.

At least she managed to save Ruby's life, even if the energetic little girl had saved her own in return. That would have to be enough for now.

* * *

><p>"You said you found something?"<p>

Ozpin nodded. "You know that I am something of an unofficial liaison between the government and the white fang correct?"

Qrow nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"No doubt you've heard about the Dust Massacre, and it's far reaching consequences." Ozpin continued as he turned towards the large screen mounted on the wall of his office. He turned it on, revealing security footage from the massacre. It was a still frame catching the mercenary battalion from Atlas that had been protecting the gates of the dust factory.

"Now," Ozpin said "I have it from the head of the Schnee dust company himself that these men were ordered to avoid starting hostilities at all costs. And the Mr. Schnee is rightly furious at their actions, mostly due to the bad press. But all the same his orders raise an interesting question..."

"Get to the point, Oz."

"Very well." Ozpin started the recording. "If they were told explicitly not to attack, why did they fire first?" He paused it a few moments later, and indicated two figures on the screen. On rank and file mercenary saying something to his commanding officer as he pointed towards the crowd of faunus. "I saw this when I was investigating the incident, and immediately started searching for the focus of their interest." Ozpin said, pressing a button on his scroll.

The image switched to another security camera, this time overlooking the faunus. "And this is what I found." He highlighted a single figure.

Qrow stumbled backwards. "That's-!"

"Ruby Rose." Ozpin agreed. "Surrounded by White Fang protesters." She sat atop a man's shoulders, but his face was hidden by those around them. "I traced her presence back as far as I could, and by the looks of it she was with them the whole time." Ozpin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She could have been in the square where they were gathering. I could have been withing _feet_ of her."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. This is more than enough for me to work with." Qrow said. "So she's with the White Fang?"

"Perhaps." Ozpin said. "Either way, I already tried the direct route. I mentioned the mercenaries' behavior to Arthur, musing that perhaps they'd seen a human in the crowd which provoked them to attack. He denied that outright."

"So they're protecting her."

"That seems to be the logical conclusion."

Qrow sighed and looked at the picture of his niece once more. "What have you gotten yourself into this time, Little Rose."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **As always, a big thanks to: Lord Straw, Ever Charady, Mistic Shadow, NyrocX, P.T. Piranha, patrick the almighty observer, DeadRich18, Electric Eclectic, and jduncan1 for leaving reviews, along with everyone who followed and favorited! You guys make my day.

Sorry the chapter was a little late this time, but I think I might start falling behind with this next week. I'll do my best to get the next chapter out on time regardless.

Now for some story notes:

The story should begin to move faster now, I have plans for Emerald to enter the scene next chapter with Mercury sometime after that. Hopefully we'll reach Beacon before 50,000 words or something like that.

**On that note, I have a quick question to ask you all**.

Should Ruby go to Beacon as in the Cannon time line, or should she show up as part of Cinder's team during the Vytal festival? Also, should she go openly or in disguise? I have plans for each "path" (including the nuisance of team names).

I could have made a poll but I wanted more opinions than votes, so if you leave a review and could be bothered to tack on a little bit extra that would be great.

As for the event's of this chapter:

Somber Thorn is Ruby's first original weapon. Currently it has no extra space for dust, though that might change, and it will not be Ruby's primary weapon, though she might keep it out of fondness or upgrade it enough to be a usable sidearm.

And then there was the most important event, the "Aurablending". This is something I unabashedly made up, taking the bits we've learned about Aura over the course of the series. It will have lasting effects but, for those of you who know what I'm talking about, its NOT A SOUL BOND. Christ those things piss me off, especially in HP fanfiction.

Quasi rant aside, it will have a deep and lasting effect on Ruby and Blake's relationship along with the story itself, but no soulbond. Ever.

Don't forget to follow/favorite/review!


	6. An Arduous Ascension

**An Arduous Ascension**

Ruby was unconscious for three days. When she finally woke up, her body was weak, her aura practically non-existant, and she had developed a craving for milk.

Milk by itself. As in, not even with cookies, Ruby just didn't get it.

The next few days were spent on rehab. Cinder helped Ruby get her strenght back, even to the point of structuring her meals (or getting someone else to do it. Ruby still didn't know if Cinder had a cook). Ruby was basically helpless for the better part of a week, and it would take even longer than that for her aura to recover. Due to her lack of strength and also as 'punishment' for her actions, Ruby was bound to the penthouse for that period.

Once again Cinder and Ruby's relationship had changed. This was the first time Cinder had ever punished Ruby for anything, even if it was in name only. More to the point, in Ruby's eyes at least, this was the first time Ruby had ever disappointed Cinder.

It... wasn't nice, the feeling of failure, and Ruby wanted, _needed_, to earn Cinder's forgiveness.

Hence why she tried to get out of bed on her own again as soon a possible, resulting in a rather interesting situation...

"See?" Ruby asked as she stood shakily next to her bed. "I can stand on my own now. I'll be better in no time!"

Cinder only sighed and shook her head mildly. "If you so insist, child."

And that was the other thing. Cinder had started to call Ruby 'child' instead of 'my gem' or any variation thereof.

Ruby didn't want to be a child, she wanted to be Cinder's. And despite how hard she tried to hide it, every time Cinder called her 'child' Ruby felt like a dagger had been stabbed into her heart.

As Cinder rose to leave, Ruby stumbled over to her, clasping the hem of Cinder's dress in her weak grip. "I'm sorry Cinder!" She said again, for what felt like the millionth time. "I swear I won't let you down again! I'm so sorry!"

Cinder had been so, so cold in these past few days. She cared for Ruby, diligently yes, but there was a distance in those golden eyes when she regarded Ruby. The warmth of that omnipresent fire which Ruby had grown so accustomed to had been replaced with an empty hearth, filled with ashes.

Ruby desperately wanted the fire back.

Cinder rubbed her hand on the back of Ruby's head. Shushing her gently. "Do not worry, child." She said. "I'm _certain_ you will never disappoint me again."

And then she was gone, slipping from Ruby's grasp like so much water flowing through her fingers. At the door she paused, giving Ruby a small smile. "After all, you're a good girl aren't you?"

Ruby nodded frantically even as Cinder disappeared around the corner. Before slumping to the ground and letting out a sigh.

Why did it hurt so much for Cinder to be away?

Still, at the very least Ruby Rose had a goal: get back on her feet, and make Cinder happy. So she forced herself back to standing position and made her way to the dining room. A meal was already set out for her, though it took a few tries to get up into her chair.

After breakfast Ruby spent the rest of the day just walking around the penthouse, getting used to moving around again. Whenever she got tired, which was often, she sat down and rested for a bit, dozing almost.

That was Ruby's schedule for the next week or so. Get up, eat, wander around the penthouse, finish book work. She was to weak to train, and her fingers were still to trembly to use her tools, so for another two weeks after standing on her own again, Ruby did very little other than this.

She had just recovered normal use of her aura when Cinder brought a girl home.

Ruby had been sitting on the couch in the living room, idly browsing the magazine Tukson bought her for her birthday.

She glanced up when the door buzzed open, revealing Cinder as she strode into room, a knowing smile on her lips. "There you are." She said, spotting Ruby.

Cinder turned her head to the side, as if she was looking at something on the wall. "Come over here, gem." She said, in a louder voice than was strictly necessary.

Perhaps if Ruby had been in better form she would have noticed the second set of foot steps that moved in time with her own. Or maybe she would have payed more attention to the way her peppy "Okay-!" seemed to echo from the hall.

But even as she was, there was no way Ruby could ignore the sight of the green haired girl with dark red eyes and tanned skin who walked into the penthouse at Cinder's calling.

Both girls froze at the sight of one another. Red eyes narrowed, Silver eyes widened. In unison, both girls turned to Cinder and asked. "Who is she?!"

Cinder laughed lightly into her hand. "Oh my." She said. "I didn't think the two of you would be _this _adorable." She laughed again. "Well. Emerald, meet Ruby. And Ruby meet Emerald. I think the two of you will get along very well."

Ruby and Emerald stared at each other again, this time with confusion and no small amount of hostility.

But Cinder didn't give them time for that. She clapped her hands once, walking between the two girls. "Come now. It's time for dinner isn't it?" She asked with a small smirk. Wordlessly, Ruby and Emerald followed her into the dining room, where three plates of food had already been prepared.

Cinder, of course, sat at the head of the table, placing the girls at her right and left hand, directly across from each other. No doubt this was intentional because, regardless of how hard they tried, Ruby and Emerald were forced to make eye contact with each other almost constantly.

Cinder seemed to enjoy the tension in the air, if her constant smirk was any indication. It looked like she reveled in the thinly veiled barbs and hidden glares.

But all the same she took care not to incite the girls against one another. The conversation was quiet, and rigidly controlled by Cinder as she ensured both of the girls remained on edge around each other.

At the same time, Cinder forced Ruby and Emerald to be polite to each other, despite how each felt threatened by the other girl's presence.

At the end of the meal Cinder stood "I'll be out for the next few hours, my little gem stones. Feel free to train or study or spar if you so desire, but when I return I expect both of you to be uninjured."

"Okay Cinder!"

"Of course, Ma'am."

When the door thunked shut both girls glared at each other warily. A tense silence filled the apartment for several seconds before Ruby sighed and gave Emerald a tentative smile.

"Hi." She said. "I'm Ruby Rose. It's... nice to meet you."

After a moment Emerald huffed and looked away. "I'm Emerald. It's nice to meet you too I guess."

Ruby shrugged. "Sooo, wanna spar?"

Emerald looked over at the younger girl in surprise. When Cinder had mentioned sparing she though it had been as a joke. This little girl was YEARS younger than her, not to mention she looked about as sturdy as a dry twig.

"You're kidding right?" Emerald asked. Ruby just smirked, bouncing on her toes.

"Well, if you're scaaared..." Ruby said, making her way over to the door. Emerald stiffened and Ruby almost giggled at her reaction. That trick had only worked on Blake once, but Emerald seemed just a bit more prideful.

"Whatever." Emerald said, following Ruby across the hall to the training room. "but you better not chicken out just because you skin a knee."

"Mmmm." Ruby looked at the palm of her left hand. Her eyes traced the thick burn scar that marred her pale skin. "I think I can manage..."

Emerald was suitably awestruck by the size of the training room.

"It's sooo great isn't it?" Ruby chirped. Emerald nodded in reply. "Oh!" Ruby pointed over to a small chest in the far corner of the room. "That's my stuff over there, don't touch okay?"

It took a second for Emerald to gather her wits enough to reply. "Hm?" She looked from the metal chest then back to the waifish girl in front of her. "Why? Don't want me messing with your dolls?"

Ruby smirked. Emerald was struck by how... CINDER... that expression was. "Well..." Ruby said. "go ahead and take a look if you really want to. But if you're not careful it might explode!"

Emerald blinked once. "You're joking."

Ruby just shrugged and made her way over to the center of the training room. "Ready to start?" She asked eagerly.

With one last look at Ruby's box, Emerald snorted and took up a sloppy stance across from the younger girl. She had the look of a street brawler, all experience and no technique.

Ruby just grinned widely. She bounced lightly on her toes, arms hanging loosely from her sides. She had almost no combat training or experience. But her time on the street had given her not only her semblance, but also an uncanny ability to move and dodge.

"Let's get this over with." Emerald said. "I have other things to do brat."

Ruby giggled, taking a pace and a half backwards. "You want it over quickly? Okay, Emerald!" She said. "Just say 'start'!"

Emerald smirked lighlty. "Don't be too cocky." She said. "Start!" Emerald charged towards Ruby.

Ruby crouched, sliding one foot backwards as Emerald closed distance. She ducked the punch. "Hiiiya!" In a burst of rose petals she pushed off the ground.

Her fist took Emerald in the gut, blowing her off her feet even as Ruby flew up above her.

She gasped, red eyes opening wide. As she flew backwards she saw Ruby in the air above her, a grin on her face as they both reached the top of their arcs, and gravity took hold. "Look out below!"

Emerald landed hard on her back.

Ruby landed hard on Emerald.

With a small hop Ruby got back to her feet and took a few steps away. Emerald gasped once more as the younger girls weight vanished from her chest. She tried to sit up once, before collapsing back to the ground, letting out a groan.

Right before her eyes slipped shut a small hand reached out to her. "Was that fast enough for you?" Ruby asked cheerfully. Emerald gave a pained chuckled before grasping Ruby's hand and letting the younger girl pull her to her feet.

"Hah... your pretty good for a kid." Emerald said.

"Than-"

Emerald wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulders, twisting backwards. She pulled Ruby over her hip and elbow dropping her onto the mats.

"Owie..."

With a labored huff, Emerald pushed herself back up to her feet and staggered backwards a pace. "First rule of fighting..." She puffed out. "Never assume the fight is over."

"That was meaaaaan!" Ruby whined as she pushed herself back up to her feet, nursing her bruised stomach.

"Oh? and using your semblance on me wasn't?"

Ruby pouted and looked away "You said you wanted it done fast..."

Emerald gave a short laugh. "Well, I WAS asking for it." She conceded. "but so were you. So don't let me catch you whining about it." She said with a small smile.

After a moment Ruby smiled back and walked over to Emerald's side and put Emerald's arm across her shoulders. "C'mon, let's go get the bandages."

Emerald laughed. "Lucky little brat. You get bandages after your get beat up?"

"... It was a really good take down." Ruby said. "Can you show me how you did that? I barely know how to fight at all, I'm just, you know, really really fast."

"Hmm?" Emerald glanced at Ruby as the two made their way back into the penthouse. "where would a kid like you learn to fight?"

"Well, the same place as you right?" Ruby said. "I'm an orphan, Cinder found me on the streets one night." Emerald did a double take. "It's that same with you right?"

"Yeah... but"

"Huh?"

"You're not Cinder's daughter?"

"Whaaaa!?"

"... I'm guessing that's a no."

A second later Ruby said, "I wish I was her daughter."

"Huh?"

Ruby giggled as Emerald sat down and she got the bandages. "You'll figure out what I mean sooner or alter. Cinder's... the best." She said. "And I- I just don't want to let her down."

Emerald hissed when Ruby helped her out of her shirt and put on some ointment before wrapping the bandages. Afterwards Emerald helped Ruby get two packs of ice and the girls retired to the couch.

"... You want to learn how to fight?" Emerald asked some time later.

"Yeah."

"Ok."

"Really?!"

"Ugh, get off of me you brat!"

"Oops!" Ruby giggled as she moved back to her side of the couch. "But really? You'll teach me?"

"I said yes already didn't I?" Emerald replied. "But I'm not helping you for free. You're gonna have to teach me something as well."

"Huh? Like what?"

"Something you know that I don't, obviously."

"Oh, okay..." Ruby frowned, brow creasing in thought. "Hey Emerald, what does 'ob-viosly' mean?"

Emerald sighed. "It doesn't matter what it means just-"

"Oh duh!" Ruby bopped herself on the head once. "I know what it means, obviously."

Emerald looked at her for a moment. "Just decide what you want to trade in return for combat training." She said.

"Well... Cinder will probably want to teach you to use dust, herself so-"

"Cinder is teaching you how to use dust?!"

"...yeah?"

"Hold on for a second." Emerald said, sitting up.

"Umm, to what?"

Emerald almost groaned. "You can use your semblance and you can use dust, already."

"Well, yeah. What's so weird about that?"

"How old are you exactly."

"I just turned nine."

Emerald just shook her head and relaxed back into the couch. "It's weird, okay?" She said. "I don't consider myself a normal kid, but last time I checked most nine year olds couldn't do all of that."

"Okay..." Ruby said, shrugging. She glanced off to the side with a small smile. She was special then? Good. She could do even more than just that though.

"Oh! I figured out what I can teach you!" Ruby said suddenly.

"Hmm, what?"

"How to make weapons!"

Emerald looked at the younger girl for a second before closing her eyes. "You know, I'm not even surprised any more." She said. "Okay, that sounds fair. You teach me about weapons, I'll teach you about street fighting."

"Sounds like a deal!" Ruby chirped.

The two girls sat across from one another on the couch in a friendly silence for a few minutes, nursing their respective injuries. But Ruby was never one to sit still for long.

"So... what do you want to do next?"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Is sitting here until my chest stops aching not an option?"

"Nope!"

"Of course not." Emerald said. "Why do we have to do something right now?"

"We have the whole day ahead of us!" Ruby said, throwing her arms wide, before wincing. "Ow- ow." Emerald laughed. "Anyway-! We can just waste an entire day sitting around and doing nothing!"

Emerald, frowned for a moment. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the kid had a point. Emerald didn't feel comfortable wasting so much time, because when you lived on the streets wasting time was a good way to end up hungry, beaten up, or dead.

She wasn't used to this luxury that surrounded them, and after a second thought Emerald could tell that Ruby wasn't at ease either. Not really.

Oh she was more comfortable amid the opulence that surrounded them than Emerald was, but she had to be doing something, otherwise the fancy penthouse would become suffocating in a heart beat.

"Yeah." Emerald said. "Let's do something."

"Yay! Give me just a second!" Ruby dashed to her room and came back with two rather large books. Right as Emerald was about to make an incredulous remark Ruby dumped both the books on her chest.

"Oof!"

"Ah!" Ruby snatched the books back. "Sorry! Sorry! I forgot, honest!"

Emerald sent Ruby a glare. "Why'd you go grab a pair of books." She got out around the coughing. "When you said do something I thought you meant something, you know, interesting?"

"But this is interesting, look!" Ruby opened up the book with a smile. Emerald frowned as she was presented with pictures of different mechashift weapons.

"This is what you want to talk about?" She asked.

"Well it's either this or go for a walk." Ruby said cheerfully. "And Cinder told me I'm really not allowed to go on walks anymore..."

"Okay, that's great." Emerald said. She didn't want to know anymore, she really didn't. "Let's look at some weapons."

"So what's your favorite?"

After a few minutes of looking Emerald pointed out a pair of curved sickles called 'kopesh'. "These." She said. "I like how they have pretty good melee range but can also be used to grapple." After giving the diagram a second look she added. "They look to small for anything but pistols, though. Which is stupid."

"Hmm." Ruby took a look at the pictures. "I'll see what I can do!"

"Wait, you're planning on making these?"

"Psh- no." Ruby scoffed. "I'm gonna make something even _better_!" She paused for a moment. "They are _really_ small though... it'd be kinda awkward to fit anything actually cool into it unless..."

Ruby sank in a trance, her fingers tracing over the diagram as she ran through ideas. "Awww." She said a minute or so later. "I so don't have the parts I need- but I have the best idea ever for this!"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Still, after seeing Ruby's obsession with weapons she had to ask at least one question. "So what are you planning on making for yourself?"

Ruby giggled, hugging the book close to her chest. "I think I'm gonna make one of everything." She said conspiratorially. "After all, I have to know how they all _feel_ before I could settle on just one!"

Emerald gave a short laugh. "I'm not even surprised anymore." She said. "I'm really not."

* * *

><p>Another week and a half after that, Ruby was finally allowed to go back to Tukson's book trade. Due what happened last time, however, Cinder told her that Blake was still banned from the penthouse unless given her explicit permission.<p>

To be more precise, it was at that time that Ruby was no longer grounded. However, between the increasingly serious workouts Cinder put the girls through, the school work, weapon making, and sparing with Emerald, she didn't actually get to see Blake for another few weeks after that. Nearly a month all told.

In that time Blake had not been idle. Her own punishment, administered by Tukson, had been to help him organize his book.

All of his books.

After the first week, she was dusty, and had a runny nose constantly. By the end of the second her hair was starting to look grey and her arms were sore. After three weeks of moving ALL OF THE BOOKS, Blake decided that she couldn't bear to look at them anymore.

For at least a few days anyway, it would take more than that to cure her of her rampant book addiction for good. But for a bit she just avoided the book store entirely.

Luckily, the lure of the books proved to strong for the cat faunus to ignore and she was back in the shop by the time Ruby showed up again.

It would turn out to be an awkward meeting.

Ruby opened the door slowly and the bell gave a small chime. Between her recovery and her time being grounded, Ruby hadn't seen Blake in nearly a month. Not to mention that last time she SAW Blake... well, those memories were confusing to say the least.

She paused just inside the door, almost losing her courage before Tukson spotted her.

"Didn't expect to see you back here so soon Squirt." He said, snapping Ruby out of her revery. He made his way to the front of the store, ruffling her hair once as he drew her inside. "With the stunt you two pulled, I expected Cinder to lock in in that gilded cage of yours for at least another week."

Ruby giggled lightly. "She tried to." She said. "Then I gave her the puppy eyes!"

Tukson grinned at that. "Diabolical." He said. "But enough of that, Blake's where she always is, you should go talk to her."

"Yeah..."

Tukson patted her once more on the head and returned to the counter. Ruby's feet traced a well worn path through the shelves.

Blake was sitting in their corner. She had a big book in her lap and was trying desperately to look like she was reading it and hadn't just heard every single word that Tukson and Ruby had said.

Ruby moved over to her side and sat down. "... Hiya, Blaky." She said, with a tentative smile.

Blake set the book aside and gave a small smile in reply. "Hello Ruby."

"So, whatcha been up to?"

Blake shrugged, shifting slightly as Ruby leaned against her side. "Hmm, I've been..."

"Busy." Both girls said at once.

Blake nodded. "Cinder's put you through a lot hasn't she."

Ruby just smiled. "It hasn't been that bad." She said. "It's just more school stuff. Oh, and I'm finally learning how to fight! It's so much fun!"

"That's good." Blake said with a nod. "I've been training more too, because you unlocked my semblance I've been put into special training."

She gave a very tentative smile after that, ears flicking backwards to lay flat across her hair. _I'm so sorry about what happened_, her expression said.

Ruby just grinned and patted Blake on the shoulder _I forgive you_, was her reply.

Then Ruby pulled a face, "Training with Adam?" She asked.

"Yes, he's not that-" Blake stopped. "Wait, how do you know about Adam?" He'd been there in the alley way on that night, but there's no way Ruby could know that he was Blake's old trainer.

"Huh?" Ruby cocked her head sideways. "You told me about him didn't you?" She ask curiously. "I remember that he was really important to you or something..."

"Ruby. I never told you anything about Adam." She said slowly. She shook her head once, trying to make sense of Ruby's sudden knowledge. "That would be like... like" She cast out her thoughts, trying to find a suitable analogy. "Like me knowing about Yang!"

Ruby flinched away, even as Blake froze as she realized the implications of her words.

The girls looked at each other, breathless and confused, neither knowing what was going on.

"How?" They whispered in unison.

But despite their apparently shared knowledge, it was still Blake who reached a conclusion first.

"After you unlocked my Aura!" She said, reaching out and grabbing Ruby the shoulders. "Afterward, we did..." Blake didn't actually have a word for what had happened back then but all the same... "After we did what we did, it was like our Auras were merging together remember?"

Ruby nodded, instantly seeing where Blake was going with this. "Yeah, yeah! And everything was like 'bloooshe' and 'shwhwhwhhwhwhhh'! and, and I couldn't tell if I was me or me was you! And then it was like we were the same person and-"

"And then this." Blake said, shushing Ruby with her finger. "We know things about each other that we shouldn't." She glanced away, "Things that neither of us had the courage to tell."

She let go of Ruby and sat back against the book shelf with a sad sigh. Why did all of her relationships have to be so complicated? It was driving her insane. It was just so awkward, not to mention terrifying, knowing that she had memories about Ruby's life in her head. Just like Ruby had memories of Blake's life, she didn't know where to go from there.

"Well..." Ruby said after a moment. "Yeah it's kinda weird, I mean," She giggled. "I actually was inside of you Blaky!"

Blake frowned at her, and Ruby giggled once more before placing her hand over Blake's.

"But." She said. "I don't think it's a big deal. You're my friend, and... and I'm not scared because you know more things about me, and you shouldn't be either!"

"Oh?" Blake cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Because I'm your friend, and I don't care what you've done!" Ruby proclaimed. "You'll always be my Blake."

Leaning forward, she captured Blake in a hug and held the older girl close. Blake's eyes widened for a moment, practically freaking out as Ruby rubbed their cheeks together. Despite how cheerful Ruby normally was, she had never been _this_ physical before.

But after a moment Blake relaxed. Maybe it was the influence of Ruby's aura, maybe it was the assurance of her words, but in either case Blake just sighed and accepted the situation. She wrapped her arms around Ruby and smiled.

"Thanks."

"Mmhm."

The two girls sat like that for several minutes, before Ruby pulled back. She didn't go far though, just repositioned herself to Blake's side.

"So, what else have you been up to?" She asked.

"Other than cleaning the store?" Blake said. "Mostly training. The White Fang has changed a lot in the the past few weeks. The leaders want to open up a side branch to prevent something like the massacre from ever happening again. I want to be a part of it."

"Oh?" Ruby said, smiling at Blake's determination, "What's it gonna be called."

Blake shrugged. "They haven't said yet. I think they can't come up with anything as eloquent as 'The White Fang'."

"Huh? What's so eloquent about that?" Ruby asked.

Blake cocked an eyebrow at the question, apparently not all knowledge had been transferred between them? Maybe it had only been important things... or things that had been on their minds right before?

But anyway. "What it stands for." Blake said. "A white fang is a one that is unstained by blood. The name was chosen to both symbolize what we are, faunus, and also our hope and intention, the creation of a equal world, achieved not through violence but diplomacy. Thus, "White Fang."

"Oohhh!" Ruby's eyes sparkled. "That IS really cool! You gotta tell me what they name the other one okay?"

Blake rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Okay Ruby."

About half an hour later the door bell to the shop dinged. The girls were both reading books at that time, hidden from sight behind one of the chest high shelves. In a shop as cozy as Tukson's however, they could both easily hear the conversation that took place near the doorway.

"Professor Ozpin?" Tukson sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah hello there. Tukson was it?" A brief pause occurred. "I'm actually looking for someone in particular. Forgive me for showing up unannounced like this, but I thought you might be able to tell me where I could find her."

"... Really?" Tukson asked. "Who are you looking for professor?"

"A young girl actually. Her name is Ruby Rose, she's nine years old and-"

"You're looking for me Mr. Ozpin Sir?"

Both Ozpin and Tukson turned to see Ruby, standing next to one of the shelves.

She looked up at Ozpin with questioning eyes, as if confused by someone so influential would want to see her.

Ozpin, on the other hand, was dumbstruck.

His sources had informed him that a girl matching Ruby Rose's description came to this shop often, but that she had not been seen for the past few weeks. In all seriousness, he'd only shown up in person because this was the only lead he had left and he couldn't bear to let it slip through his fingers.

He did not expect to find Ruby today, or indeed any time soon. He was actually expecting to be summarily turned away by Tukson, as he had by every other faunus he'd asked about young miss Rose.

And yet here she was, plain as day, and looking a near sight better than Yang did when she'd been found months ago.

She looked... Dear gods above Ozpin didn't know what he was going to tell Qrow. He didn't know if his old friend could handle know that someone else had been taking care of his niece.

That being said, this meeting required tact. Yes, it required very much tact. There was far too much information he didn't know.

"Ruby Rose..." He said, using all of his experience as a public speaker and politician to keep his voice level. There were so many things he wanted to say. 'Do you know how long your uncle has been looking for you', or 'I see you've acquitted yourself quite well, Miss Rose', or 'Thank the gods that you're alive'.

But the phrase that wanted to escape from his lips most of all was: 'You look so much like your mother.'

Yet Ozpin said none of these, he knew that they would all likely end in disaster. Instead, he smiled his inscruitable smile and said. "You have silver eyes."

"Uuum...?"

This mess, Ozpin decided, was quickly and irrefutable spiraling out of control.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry that this chapter is late, last few weeks have been busy. Also, found it a bit hard to finish up after hearing the news, so I'm sorry if it reads a bit awkwardly.

For anyone who hasn't yet heard, Monty Oum is dead.

What the means for RWBY, only RS and the rest of the team working on the project can say. But regardless of what happens, I will do my best to finish this fanfic and make it something worth reading.

Updates will probably be coming slower now, and I'll return to my usual author's notes next chapter. If you have any questions about the story, please PM me or leave them in a review and I'll do my best to clear up any confusion bits.

-Argentorum


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